A Long Day's Night
by ucat42
Summary: Something evil has crawled from deep in the bowels of the Earth, an evil so terrible it has been banished for centuries.  Now, Mother has decided her fearsome child may walk the surface again. Major Angst!DeanHurt!Comfort!... Set just after S6 : 14
1. Chapter 1

Arrrgghhh I've been hacked! Chapter one is missing. I'll post it back when it has been recovered...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Part two, not so gory...**

**x**

**x**

Police tape stretched around half the park, lining the path, wrapped around trees, and framing the grim scene

at the centre. At least a dozen police surrounded a blue tarp covered body, a large dog lying next to it. The

steady rain splashed all around, covering the dog, the body, and soaking the police rght through their uniforms.

All through the park other uniformed officers scurried around with metal detectors and evidence bags as they

scanned for clues on the brutal killing, all overseen by a very tall policeman, his brow furrowed with worry and

frustration. A junior office approached him, and indicated towards two suited men walking towards the scene.

"FBI guys. I checked their ID" he informed his superior, and ducked back outside the police tape to continue

looking for clues.

The tall, thin policeman wiped the rain from his eyes as he walked up to the two FBI agents, both also soaking

wet. "Gentlemen" he tipped his head, a waterfall of rain falling from his hat brim, glad he wasn't the only one

stuck out in this terrible weather. "George Hallam. Sorry to get you guys out on a day like this"

The taller of the two agents smiled and offered his hand. He was a touch taller than George, and his smile was

warm and friendly. "Agents Lee and Roth. " He flashed a quick badge, his partner following suit. "Seems you

got a little problem on your hands, here".

George smiled back. "Understatement of the century. This is the fifth woman, all in parks, all eviscerated, the

incision is near surgical, and there's no blood spilled. We can't explain it. I'm ready to start listening to UFO

theories any time now."

The FBI agent turned to his partner, who nodded. George admired that, he's never had a partner that he could

just sync with like that. He's always been teamed up with short, fat, pigheaded flatfoots who just didn't ever

follow his train of thought. These two seemed to know what the other was thinking with just a glance.

The agent turned back to him as his partner walked over to the body. "No theories at all? No witnesses?"

George looked grim. "No theories. We do have a witness, though." He pointed to the body. There, beside the

pale blue tarp was the bedraggled, dejected looking dog, his ears flopped, his eyes down cast, as he stared at

the body it looked for all the world like he had tears running down his long nose.

George noticed how the other agent bent low, and offered the back of his hand to the large dog. The dog

sniffed him, then turned his attention back to the body laying before him. The policeman shook his head.

"Don't think you're gonna get much outta him" he sighed.

The tall agent nodded in agreement, and walked over to his partner.

"Ah, Dean?" he bent to the dog, who lifted his big brown eyes up to meet his in the most mournful look Sam

had ever seen.

"No EMF, no sulphur, no blood, no freaking clue" Dean told his brother. Sam reached out to pat the dog, who

just whimpered, low and sad.

"It killed the girl, but left the dog?" Sam asked.

"It?" George asked, walking up. "You mean, they, don't you?"

Dean stood up. "This was the work of a monster" Dean told him "Not fit to be part of the human race."

George nodded in agreement. "Can't fault your logic there. So what does the bureau think? Any ideas?"

Sam offered his downcast smile. "As soon as we know anything, we'll be in touch" he said, shaking George's

hand.

As they went to move off the dog got up and stood beside Sam. George and Dean looked down at the large

Doberman, and Dean caught Sam's eye, his face barely holding back about a million one liners. Sam gave him a

'cut the shit' look and patted the dog's head, who in turn lifted his large muzzle to lick Sam's hand. "What's

gonna happen to the dog?" Sam asked. George shook his head.

"Animal control. If he can't find a home, he'll be put to sleep."

"Huh" Sam turned the collar a little to read the inscribed name. "His name is Darth Vadar"

"Cool name " Dean agreed, turning back to the policeman. "Well, we'll be in touch" and shook his hand.

They turned to leave, but the dog matched Sam stride for stride, perfectly at heel, his leash dragging on the

ground. Sam stopped, and looked back at George. "Maybe you can hang onto him for a couple of days. " He

smiled up at Sam. "I mean, being a material witness, and all"

"Oh, I don't think so" Sam frowned, and the dog placed his muzzle in the palm of Sams's hand, once again

turning his eyes up with a sad pleading.

Dean gave a short laugh. "See what I mean about puppy dog eyes?" Sam gave his a look, and gathered up the

leash, ready to hand it back to the policeman. He looked down at the leash, then instead of handing it to

George, he wrapped it around his hand. "Second thought, I always did want a dog." He gave his brother a 'go

with me here' look, and turned back to the policeman. "Just for a couple of days".

X

X

X

X

Dean rounded on Sam as soon as they were out of sight of the crime scene. "What the hell, dude? A dog?"

Sam offered him the leash, and Dean noticed what his brother had. As Sam turned it

over in his hands Dean noticed a weird phosphorescent dust, sparkling over the lead in places, almost looking

like hand prints. He grabbed an handkerchief from his pocket and wiped a bit off. As it hit the material, it

vanished. Dean looked up at Sam, who shrugged. "I got nothing" he said.

Dean nodded. "Ok, but did you need the whole dog? You coulda just taken the lead!"

"Look at his coat"

As the dog trotted beside Sam you could see the faint hint of the same substance all over him, and when Dean

bent down he noticed the dog's feet coated in it. "But this wasn't on the body, was it?"

"Don't know. I'm thinking we get back to the motel and see how Bobby went with the coroner"

Dean gave him a sour look.

"What is it?" Sam sighed.

"I don't want dog hair and monster dust all through the Impala"

Sam rolled his eyes and leg the dog towards the car. "There's a blanket in the boot".

X

X

X

X

Bobby took one look at the huge, mean looking Doberman and almost squealed in excitement. "Whose dog?

Where's you find him? What's his name? Are you keeping him? Where'd you get him? Can he come inside?"

He looked up and saw the bemused looks on the brothers' faces. Face colouring, he cleared his throat. "Fine

looking dog, is all" he muttered, stepping back to allow the boys and dog into the motel room.

"Of course" Sam said, but meeting his brothers eyes, he couldn't help but laugh, and Dean quickly followed suit.

"Ok, ok, get it outta yer system" he gruffed, and took the dog by the lead.

The dog looked at him, head tilted to one side, ears pricked forward. "Whats yer name, big boy?" Bobby asked

him.

"Darth Vadar" Sam replied, and Bobby nodded.

"So, do we call you Darth?" the dog just looked at him. "How about Vadar, then?" at that the thumb size tail

started to wag, followed by a lunge forward as Vadar leapt onto Bobby, knocking him flat on the ground and

smothering his face with doggy kisses.

Sam pulled him back, allowing Bobby to get up, and they both turned to Dean, who was doubled over with

laughter, holding his stomach and wiping tears from his eyes. "That" he gasped, "Was the best laugh in years"

"Ok chuckles, settle down." Bobby wiped his face on his sleeve. "Why do we have a dog, anyway?"

Sam explained the latest kill and the monster dust, as he started to strip of his FBI suit. Vadar looked at the

closest bed and jumped up on it, settling into a comfortable position, his head resting on his stretched out front

legs.

Bobby went to his jacket that was slung over a chair, and retrieved his notebook. "Coroner observed a fine

phosphorescent powder all over the previous victim, but when he attempted to remove it, it had dissipated." He

looked up at the boys.

"Yeah, same happened when I wiped some off on to a handkerchief" Dean commented "But it's stuck to the

leash, and on the dog's back."

Bobby looked thoughtful. "It was raining last night, right?" Sam nodded. "It was misty when this other girl bit it"

Bobby added. "Maybe we need to mix the powder with water to retrieve it" he went to his duffle and fished

out his toiletry bag, and found a few q-tips.

Sam grabbed a glass from the sink and filled it with water. Bobby wet the q-tips and swabbed the dog's coat,

then the leash, each time the powder successfully clung to the damp cotton bud.

"Hand me an evidence bag, there, in my duffle" Bobby asked Dean, and he sealed the swabs in the plastic

bags. "I'll ring the coroner and tell him what we've found" he said, and pulled his phone from his pocket.

Dean just stood there, looking at the dog on his bed. He looked up at Sam. "You're sleeping there tonight" he

said.

X

X

X

X

She kicked the flat tyre of her car, although what that would achieve was beyond her. Helped not at all with her

frustration, and the irony that this was the one day she forgot her cell phone at home was not lost on her.

The rain was falling softly, more a mist than actual rain, and it formed a fog like blanket around her, soft halos

around the street lights, rainbows in the gutters. Pretty, but not helping. She had worked all day, ten and a

half hours, and was dog tired. Last thing she needed was to get a blow out, fourteen blocks from home, and no

cell phone. "AArrggghhhh! " she grunted, and kicked the tyre again, but this only resulted in hurting her toe.

Great. She's have to walk, all fourteen blocks.

If she took the shortcut through the nature reserve she could cut that down to seven.

Oh, she wasn't stupid, she'd heard all about the murders, it was all anyone talked about. And the warnings, of

course. Don't talk to strangers, don't be out on your own at night, and especially don't go near parks! And she

was always the first one to curse out the scantily clad starlet in the b-grade horror movies who investigated a

suspicious noise late at night.

It was such a long walk, though, and it was raining. She hadn't seen another car for ages, and the longer she

waited, well, the later it would be when she got home. Ah well, best she just get to it, then.

She fished an umbrella out of her trunk and locked the car. She was prettey sure if she just followed the edge

of the reserve and cut through the last corner she could be home witin 20 minutes. No problem.

.

She never made it home...

X

X

**A/N...Part two next week, me thinks. Don't forget I work over 10 hours a day, and hour and a half travel to and from, and all my animals to look after when I get home (I have a little farmlet) so not a lot of time for writing...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N...I am sorry for the delay in posting. You guessed it, work is taking it's toll. Long hours make it hard to get enough sleep, and when you are functioning on remote control, the story writing part of your brain tends to shut down...**

X

X

Sam emerged from the shower, towel around his waist, another roughly drying off his long hair. The motel

room was empty, both his brother, Bobby and the dog were gone. He quickly dressed, shook his hair into an

almost shape and opened the motel room door.

He stopped, the site greeting him was not one he expected. There was Dean, sitting on the trunk of his car,

coffee in hand, a massive grin plastered on his face. Bobby was in the vacant lot next to the motel, _playing_

with the dog. He was running, chasing, being chased, the dog enjoying the attention, and Bobby running

around like a five year old on a sugar overdose.

He shook his head in disbelief, and walked over to join his brother. Dean looked around as a tall shadow fell

on him, and he handed a coffee to his younger brother. "Good morning, sunshine!" he beamed and nodded

towards the scene in front of him. "Who'd a guessed?"

"What, that Bobby loves dogs, or that he's playing in front of us?" Sam smiled back, and sipped the hot liquid.

"He's gotta know he's never gonna live this down"

"Yah think? Then again" Sam let out a short laugh "He could kill us if we ever told anyone."

Vadar came leaping up to Sam, and plonked his butt down in front of him, his eyes pleading. Sam just looked

at him, a little confused. "I think he's hungry" puffed Bobby, jogging up to the boys.

Sam smiled at Bobby "Ok, dog whisperer, what do we feed him?"

Dean handed Sam a large burger, and nodded towards the dog. "Diner didn't have Alpo"

Sam fed the dog, and ate breakfast himself, as they discussed the plans for the day.

Dean had the newspaper open on the bonnet of the car, and Sam leaned in to read over his brother's

shoulder. "Another one? So soon?"

"Looks like it's escalating" Bobby confirmed.

"So, where to now? I mean, we got no clues, other than Vadar here" Dean grumbled.

"Ah, but the force is strong with this one!" Bobby laughed as Vadar jumped up to lick his face. "I'll call the

coroner, see if there's any news on the dust. You guys hit the books"

X

X

X

X

X

Sam opened another web page as Vadar snored at his feet. Dean was belly down on his bed, a book open in

front of him as they searched for the creature creating the havoc in the parks of the city.

"Man, this book reads like a Japanese instruction manual" moaned Dean, and he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I

got nothin'. How 'bout you?"

Just then Bobby opened the motel room door, ending his call on his cell phone as he entered. "Coroner says

the dust similar to that found in caves a few miles from here. Phosphorescent deposits all through the lower

regions, all over the walls and under the water. Quite a sight, he says, open to the public." He poured himself

a coffee from the pot on the bench. "You boys feel like a little day trip?"

X

X

X

X

They drove right up to the visitor centre at the caves, Bobby in the back with the dog. Vadar waited there

while the hunters went into the visitor centre, a small gift shop and information desk, with a little diner area in

the corner. A pretty young lady bounced up to the men, her smile nearly splitting her face in two.

"You guys with the tour group? Your running late, they're already half way to the cave!"

"Well, gosh ma'am" Dean shone his brightest smile back at her "We'd better hurry up! Hate to miss out!" With

a nod at his two companions, they left through the rear entrance the girl indicated they should take. Up

ahead of them was a group of about thirty people, and Sam could have sworn twenty nine of them were

elderly women.

Dean elbowed Bobby in the ribs. "Looks like your lucky day, tiger!"

Bobby gave him a look that could freeze over hell, but walked up to the women anyway. He started chatting

to them, smiling, and Sam turned to Dean.

"Do you think we could bring Vadar? I don't know how long this'll take, and you sure don't want him messing

up your car". Dean just looked at him, then handed him the keys.

"Good thinking, 99" He turned and walked up to Bobby and the women.

Sam jogged off to the car, where Vadar was very excited to see him. He didn't know if they'd let him into the

caves with the dog, but even if he tied him up outside, it had to be better than waiting in the car on a warm

day. He returned to the tour group, where Bobby had the ladies laughing, his brother beside him, a bemused

look on his face. He turned when he heard Sam approach, and nodded toward Bobby.

"Quite the charmer. Old flirt"

Sam shook his head. "We may be driving home alone tonight" he changed Vadar's leash into his other hand

"What're we going to do with the dog? Should I tie him up out the front?"

"No need'" Dean grinned. "I told them you had emotional issues and he's your therapy dog. He's allowed to

come with us."

Sam glared at him, and marched past him to Bobby and the ladies. They hushed as soon as he walked up, all

giving him sweet, knowing smiles, and then the tour guide came over, a thirtyish red head lady with a

rather portly figure. She placed her hand on Sam's, and gave him a sympathetic nod. He turned back to his

brother, and flashed him a sour look. Dean just threw his head back and laughed.

X

X

X

X

X

The caves were well lit, a concrete path leading through the middle, sturdy hand rails on each side. Dean kept

waving around the EMF meter, but nothing registered. The tour guide chatted on about the local history, the

Native Americans that had lived there many years ago, and the local mining industry, that had folded almost

as quickly as it started. She didn't know why this had happened.

Bobby was proving a great hit amongst the older ladies, and he kept his side up, chatting and flirting so that

the boys could investigate without anyone paying them any attention, but there wasn't much they could do,

as everything was very sterile and 'touristy'. Bobby asked the tour guide about local superstitions, but she

just smile and patted his check, not answering.

As they walked deeper into the well lit caves, the tour guide stopped them in a larger chamber, all lit

dramatically with coloured lights to show off the various features. There was a large underground lake in front

of them, bright lights on the edge of the balustrade reflecting off it's still surface. Vadar sat beside Sam, a

very obedient and well trained dog. "This, ladies, and gentlemen" the tour guide flashed Bobby a bright smile

"Is our _Pièce de résistance._ We will now turn off the lights" she nodded over to a before unseen worker, who

was in a tiny little booth tucked into a side wall "and you will see why these caves are the most visited

tourist attraction in this region!" With a flourish, she raised her hands, and all of the lights went out at once.

At first darkness surrounded them, so complete they could not make out a hand in front of their faces, the

group speaking in hushed whispers. Slowly, Dean realised that he could see, just faintly, as the

phosphorescent walls started to light up, leading to a bright, eerie glow emanating from the walls, the ceiling,

and the lake had even started to glow. He looked down, and noticed foot prints on the concrete path also

glowing. He touched his brother's arm, and indicated the floor. Sam looked at them, then back at Dean. "Not

human" he whispered, and Dean nodded.

These were definitely _not _human. They were long, and looked more like a large bear's than any man's. Dean

touched Bobby in the small of his back to gain his attention, and pointed to the prints. Bobby nodded, then

tipped his head to the railing on the near side of the lake, where prints also softly glowed. Dean nodded, and

turned back to Sam. The three hunters had worked out their whole plan without hardly speaking a word.

Bobby walked up to the rail at the edge of the lake, and peered over. "Isn't that just the most romantic sight

you've ever seen?" he asked in an over dramatically loud voice, but the women ate it up, all of them rushing

over the railing to stand with Bobby and look at the water and glowing walls.

Dean and Sam edged back, following the footprints to where they met with the handprints. Dean quickly

stepped over the rail, completely un noticed, his feet at the edge of the waterline, a dark, rocky beach softly

glowing around his boots. Sam shook the dog's lead. Dean shrugged and leaned in to accept the heavy dog

as Sam lifted him over the railing, stepping over himself as soon as Vadar was on the ground. They quietly

moved away from the tourists, keeping close to the wall, following the lakes edge as it gently curved around

the cavern walls.

Bobby's voice rose again, his effort keeping the tourists prying eyes away from the two younger hunters as

they made their way further into the softly glowing tunnels, moving further from the cemented path and

safety rails.

Vadar trotted happily beside them, and as they came across a smaller cave mouth, he stopped. He sniffed the

air, and let out a soft growl. Sam looked at his brother. "It's as good a lead as any" he whispered, and Dean

nodded in agreement.

As they entered the smaller cave, both boys took out torches from heir jacket pockets, though the glow was

enough to light their way, they, as always, preferred to be prepared. They walked in silence, till a three way

fork slit the tunnel ahead. "Okay" Dean quietly spoke. "Whattaya think?"

Sam led the dog forward, to the first opening. Vadar sniffed, and looked up at Sam. Sam led him to the next,

Vadar also sniffed this, then lifted his leg and marked the wall. "I'd say that's a _no_" Dean screwed his nose

up. At the third opening, Vadar also sniffed the air, and his hackles rose, his growl low and dangerous.

"Yatzee" Sam whispered, and they started down the cavern, Dean pulling his gun from the back of his pants.

The walked a few hundred yards, the cavern on a gentle incline, softly twisting, and they saw no more

openings. Vadar was on edge the whole time, growling, fur raised, and he pulled slightly on the leash, leading

the hunters ever further into the Earth.

Suddenly he pulled up, and his bark echoed through the cavern in short, sharp rapports, like gunshot. Sam

pulled out his weapon as well, and both men shone their torches ahead, into the darkness..

"Sammy?" yelled Dean "Got anything?"

"I can't see a thing" his brother replied, but Vadar pulled ahead, barking harder. He leapt up, his leash pulling

loose from Sam's hand, and ran ahead into the cave, lost in the gloom and faint glow within seconds. Sam

and Dean locked eyes for a split second, and ran after the dog, as a team one shone his torch on the ground

in front of them while the other shone it straight ahead, following the faint echo of barks drifting back to them.

The glow on the walls thinned out, then was gone altogether, if it were not for their small torches they would

have been in total darkness. The floor continued its decline, becoming steeper, their boots starting to

slip a little on the wet, pebble covered ground. The air also grew steadily colder, and Dean could feel his ears

and nose going numb. Sam slipped a little, and his brother's hand darted out to steady him.

"Fricken caves" he grumbled, and they continued to run, just a little more carefully, as footing became more

precarious. Darkness seemed to wrap around them, only the two small, bright beams cutting through.

Vadar's barking travelled back to them, but the pitch changed. "He's caught up to something" Sam huffed, and

started running a little faster. It seemed he was right, as the clear sounds of a dog attacking echoed back to

them, and as they got closer they could hear the scuffle in the pebbles on the cave floor, the grunts and

growls from the dog, and something else, a deeper voice, also growling as it fought off the huge Doberman.

A painful scream from Vadar cut though the darkness, and he fell silent. Both boys skidded to a halt, their

torches shining straight ahead, as they approached with more caution, their breaths short from running as

well as the cold air. As quietly as they could, they krept forward, boots scrunching the pebbles beneath them,

the damp ceiling dripping lightly on their hair.

All was quiet….a deathly silence seemed to have descended following Vadar's last stand, and Dean felt the

hairs rise on his neck. Sam shuddered, he, too, was feeling the sinister change in the atmosphere.

Suddenly a flash from ahead, a glimpse of a bulky body, and the boys halted, guns ready, torches held high.

A flash of bulk again, and their stances became crouched, hunters sighting their prey. Slowly they continued

ahead, breath quiet, senses on high alert.

A rush of air, and the torches were knocked from their hands, Sam could see in sporadic bursts as the torches

swirled and rolled over in the air, before coming to land, both beams landing hard, one winking out, the other

pointing it's beam straight at the wall.

"Dean" Sam's worried cry escaped him, and Dean grabbed his arm.

"Stay close, Sammy"

"What the hell was that?"

He felt, rather than heard, a whumpf of something striking his brother, the reassuring hand ripped from his

arm, a small cry escaping Dean's lips. The force of the pull from his arm sent him tumbling, and then something

struck him in the head, and all went dark.

The silence was only marred by a faint drip as the moisture pooled and fell from the ceiling, then a deep grunt

as something picked up a heavy load, and crunched it's way off into the cave.

The torch continued to shine into the bare wall.

X

X

**A/N...Don't hate me, I love cliff hangers! Probably a week till next chapter, but I will try hard to get it up before then... oh, a review would make my day!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Ok, hurt boys warning, mild language warning, and slight spoiler warning if you haven't seen Season Six..but not enough to ruin the episode 6 : 14...**

Sam groaned, his face hurt, his back hurt, there was something sticky stopping him from opening his eyes.

Damn, he hurt all over. Something was wrong. Something had happened. What, though?

He opened his mouth to speak, but his lips were cracked, and his tongue swollen and dry. He couldn't croak a

single sound, so he reached up and rubbed his eyes, cracking them open a fraction. He was somewhere

dark, a very faint light behind him, hard rocks cutting into his face and neck. He couldn't see where the light

was coming from, so tried to push himself up, his hands protesting the contact with the sharp pebbles on the

floor. The faint light was a torch, batteries nearly flat, and he picked it up and scanned around himself.

The cave! That's right, he remembered a cave... and something attacking them...where was Dean?

"Dean!" He called weakly, his voice barely a whisper. He cleared his throat, and tried again, stronger this

time. "Dean! _Dean_?"

His voice echoed back to him, but that was all. He rolled onto all fours and reached for the torch, it's light

barley cutting through the dark. How long had he been out? He pulled his cell phone from his pocket, but it

was smashed near in half, he must've landed on it. He pointed the faint beam from the torch at his watch, and

figured out he'd been unconscious for over an hour. Why hadn't Bobby come looking for them? He knew Dean

would've found him, if he was able, so that meant Dean was not able. "DEAN!" he yelled again, the echoes

drifting around him like futile reminders of his situation.

What that a noise? Did he hear something? There, again, a scuttle sort of sound...maybe his brother had

escaped what ever had grabbed him and was trying to make his way back..."DEAN"

A whimper answered him, and a rush of paws and doggy breath. "Vadar! You're alive!" the dog licked his face,

whimpering, and Sam hugged him in sheer relief. He pushed the dog back, then, and shone the torch over

him, it's weak beam not showing him anything..except, what was that? He reached over, and found the other

torch, this one broken, but the battery case was intact. He quickly swapped batteries, and the used the

stronger beam to examine the dog.

He was injured, thought not too bad, large claw marks marring his side, but Vadar must've been quick, they

seemed not too much more than a glancing blow. He turned the dog's large head, and felt a soft, sticky patch

on the poor dog's skull. Fractured, he was sure. Vadar whimpered, but didn't pull away. Instead he tried to

climb onto Sam's knee, seeking comfort.

"It's all right, fella" Sam stroked the short coat of the Doberman. "I know how you feel. But we don't have

time to lick our wounds" he pushed to his feet, setting the dog back "We gotta find Dean."

He shone the torch around, and found his backpack. Thankfully there was a bottle of water, and he took a

long swig, then offered a little to the dog, who lapped at his hand, but didn't seem too thirsty. The caves

were damp, chances were that Vadar may have found a puddle or pool to drink from.

Sam wet a rag and wiped his face, pulling the rag back to see it was coloured with blood. That was what had

been keeping his eyes stuck. He took another, smaller drink and put the bottle back. He'd better save some

for Dean...for when he found him...

When. Not if.

"You coming, boy?" he asked the dog, and shone the torch ahead of him, down the long dark passage. Dean

was down there. He started to walk, his steps steadier than he felt. Dean was down there.

X

X

X

X

Bobby waved goodbye to the last of the women, and started the car, waving as he drove off. He was wired

beyond belief, his worry for the boys almost his undoing, as he'd walked through the rest of the tour, then sat

through four lattes as he covered for the missing boys, using Sam's 'issues' as a reason the boys had left

early. Thankfully, none of his companions had questioned why the boys weren't at the car, and Bobby didn't

bring it up. He had felt that horrible ice knife at the bottom of his stomach when he realised the boys were not

waiting for him, but covered it well. At least, no one said anything.

Finally the last of the ladies had climbed onto their tour bus, and he'd been able to pretend to leave. Instead

of leaving, he's simply pulled the Impala onto the small service road that led almost to the mouth of the cave.

he leapt out, and popped the trunk, wondering what he was gonna need for this rescue mission. He loaded

up with silver bullets, salt, holy water and machetes, then made sure he grabbed the well stocked first aid kit.

He hoped he wouldn't have to use it. That was, of course, wishful thinking. How many times had he come to

save a hunter's ass and not needed a first aid kit? Especially the Winchesters.

He threw the duffel he'd packed over his shoulder, and checked the torch was working. The gates to the cave

entrance were bolted, but there was a service access door to the side, and that looked an easier crack.

It took less than two minutes to gain entry, and Bobby heaved the heavy bag back onto his shoulder and

slipped inside. The small utility office built into the side of the cave entrance was warm and still lit. The bank of

safety monitors were still on, but none of them showed any activity. What they did show, to Bobby's relief,

was that all of the lights were on. That would make at lease the first bit of his seach much easier. He looked

through the utility cupboard to see of there was anything that might be of use.

Nada.

He made his way through the same well lit caverns that they had traversed earlier as a tour group, but this

time Bobby was all business. He marched forward to the large lake cavern, then pulling his gun from his

waistband, torch held high, he climbed the safety rail. He followed the lake shore line around the curve, the

last place he had glimpsed his boys.

Oh, he knew they weren't _his_, as such, but he felt they were the closest thing he would ever get to kids of his

own. He'd watched them grow, over the years, helping and mentoring, where he could, but it wasn't till they

lost their daddy that he really stepped in to become a father to these two wayward hunters. They would

always have his back, of that he was sure, no doubt at all, and he would always have theirs.

He crunched through the dim light until he could go no further without turning down a wide tunnel, so it was

logical that the boys took this route. He held his torch high, gun just below, if he saw anything, he could kill it

just as quick.

He moved forward and, he noticed, slightly downward, the air becoming colder the more he walked. There

was no noise, no signs of life, though here and there a small drip of moisture plonked a gentle chime into the

blackness. He eventually came to a three fold fork in the tunnel, and stopped. Which way to go? He could

follow the wrong tunnel for miles before finding it it was wrong, and the boys might not have that much time...

A thought came to him, and he turned of fhis torch. His eyes were immediately assaulted with the total

blackness, so complete he thought he could almost feel it. You see dark, in your life, but very rarely do you

ever see total black. There's usually a distant street light, or the glow from the moon, even a smudge of

starlight to break the velvet of completeness. Not here. Here it was total. Solid, like.

Then he saw, just faint at first, then slowly growing stronger, the phosphorescent glow of creature foot

prints. Large, bear like paw prints showed him the right route, and he was sure the boys would have used

the same method to track the monster.

He walked for quite some time until he came to the site of an obvious scuffle, there was blood, a broken torch,

and the sharp pebbles that covered the floor were thrown about. No bodies. That was good. Bobby breathed

a heavy sigh of relief. That was real good. He turned off his torch again, to see if the creature had been the

one fighting the boys.

This time there was more than broken footprints on the ground, there were prints everywhere, including the

ceiling. In fact, most of them were along the ceiling, as if the creature had crawlled along the roof like

something from an Aliens movie.

He snapped his torch back on and continued forward. The boys were alive. Thank God. Or thank whoever was

looking after them, yet again.

He shoulded his duffle, gun and torch held high again, and more determination in his footsteps. He was

getting the boys out in one piece. Killing the monster? That was a bonus. Not a priority, at this stage.

X

X

X

X

Dean couldn't remember how he got back to the motel. Was he at a motel? Maybe he was at Bobby's. Either

way, this mattress stunk. And it was uncomfortable. He tried to turn over, but couldn't. Maybe he was tangled

in the sheets.

He coughed, a little. His throat hurt. Maybe he was sick. That's probably why he couldn't think straight, he had

a fever. Damn, his mouth was dry. And he must've been sweating, coz the bed felt wet. Warm, stinky and

wet.

Great.

Think of something pleasant. Something other than the stinky mattress.

He couldn't think. His head hurt. His throat hurt. He couldn't feel his legs, so at least they didn't hurt.

Where was Sam? If he was sick, wouldn't Sam be here, looking after him?

Yeah, he'd be complaining about touchy girly feelings, and Sam would be a big nursey mothering hen type and

be wiping his brow and feeding him broth.

Sam said he had his back. He did.

Not Robo Sam, pulling out whatever lie he needed to get Dean to think he was normal, gigantor baby brother

Sam and not soulless moose freak Sam.

Dean almost smiled when he remembered Sammy, telling him he had his back. Where were they? That's it,

they were at Bobby's and he was fixing his baby after that douche bag nerd ghost girl had put her through

the shop window.

Yeah, he remembered now. Sam was trying to make him feel better, coz he was mad that they couldn't save

that douche bag's sister, and he said it. "I got your back"

Sam didn't know how much that meant.

How that ripped Dean in two, and put him back together again, in all the right ways.

Sam didn't remember telling him the same thing a few months earlier, when Dean had started to figure out

something was very, very wrong.

But this time, it was real.

It was Sam.

It was Sam, and he was telling his big brother "I got your back."

The relief, the love, the...the..._the everything is gonna be allright_ness of it, well, Dean thought that _there_, that

was his day in heaven, should he have died right there, that's the moment he woulda lived over and over.

But where was Sam now?

This wasn't right. He hurt way too much, and this mattress was too stinky.

It smelled like animal piss and dead things and felt like rocks.

And he hurt way too much.

He tried to open his eyes, but hey wouldn't listen to him.

He tried to lift his arm to rub at his eyes, but he couldn't tell if it moved, or not.

He couldn't feel his arms, or his legs.

And right now, he wished he couldn't feel his stomach.

It rolled and bucked in protest, and the smell of animal pee made him feel even worse.

Dean tried to call Sammy, he really did, but his voice was stuck.

Instead, he threw up, all over himself, and over the stinky mattress.

Sam would be mad at him, when he came in, but there was nothing Dean could do. He ried to roll, but couldn't

move. He couldn't even move his head.

Sam, where are you?

You said you got my back.

Dude, I don't feel good, and I just yarked all over myself.

I need you, Sammy.

Dean took a ragged breath, and slipped out of consciousness.

X

X

**A/N I hope you like...please leave a review, any word will do... just to let me know I'm not all alone, here!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Here we go, a weird journey is unfolding...**

**X**

Sam felt like he's been walking for hours, but he was sure it was only because his head hurt so bad. He had

reached up and felt a cut, a large swelling, and a mass of sticky half dried blood, but his skull seemed intact. It

just ached in a blinding rhythm in time with his footsteps, and his eyes felt like they were pulsing along in

sympathy.

He came to a fork in the cave, this time Vadar just whimpered, not indicating any particular tunnel to take. Sam

was at a loss to figure out how to find Dean, he didn't want to take the wrong one and be stuck looking in the

wrong direction while his brother lay bleeding, waiting for him to come. He started down one passage, and Vadar

planted his feet, still whimpering, refusing to go any further. He tried the next passage, and the dog did the same

thing. That was no help. He was all right with leaving the dog behind, as saving Dean was a bigger priority, and

Vadar would probably find his way out anyway, he guessed.

What to do, what to do? He knew Dean was waiting for him, and that Dean was hurt, or worse…. No, not worse.

Maybe tied up, or unconscious, not worse.

He was ok. He had to be.

He _had_ to be.

He slumped against the wall, and glanced back the way he'd come. Off in the distance there was a faint glow on

the roof and walls….footprints?

Of course! Sam turned off his torch, which caused Vadar to let out a startled little yelp. He reached down and

patted the dog's flank to reassure him, and waited for the glow that would show him which passage to take.

Nothing in the first cavern. He checked the second, and there, on the roof, were several scrambled prints, like

something had run along the roof. Figures. The way they were hit without warning, it must've dropped from the

ceiling.

He tucked Vadar's leash around his collar, and gave him a last pat. "Up to you now, boy" Sam told him. "You can

wait here, or find your way back."

He shouldered his pack and headed down the tunnel. Vadar whined, then let out a few sharp yelps, distressed at

being left alone. After a few minutes he ran up to Sam, but walked behind him, a frightened growl punctuating

the darkness every so often.

"I know, dude" Sam whispered to the dog "It's spooky. But we gotta find Dean"

He realised there was a smell…no, a stench, it smelled like animal piss and death. Must be going the right way.

Nothing good ever smelled like that.

Vadar's growls grew louder, and Sam slowed, more cautious, aware every step could lead him to the monster that

had taken his brother. He fanned the torch around, taking in floor, walls, and ceiling with every sweep. There

were the scrabbling, glowing tracks, but no sign of the monster.

No sign of Dean, either.

He felt frustration compound the throbbing in his head, but didn't let it make him throw caution away, and he

steadily moved forward, slowly, stealthily, knowing he would soon find his brother.

His torch hit on a bulky object in front of him, and Vadar stopped dead in his tracks.

He moved forward, slower, still sweeping the torch, but also playing it across the object, trying to figure out what

it was.

The stench grew stronger, and he wished for a free hand to cover his mouth. He felt like he was going to throw

up, the smell was so bad.

He crept forward, finally getting a clearer picture of what the object was.

There was a large pile of rotting entails, carcasses and bodies, both human and not.

Some were animals, some…well, he just couldn't tell.

Then, he swore the pile moved, just a little. There, again, it moved.

And again! This time, a sharp, shrill giggling followed the movement, and a scurried whisper caught the darkness,

and hung just on the edge of his senses.

Vadar growled, and lunged forward, attacking the pile, and sharp squeals echoed out around Sam.

Vadar yelped and pulled back, Sam still shone the torch at the pile, but didn't move. His brother could be in that

pile.

_"Bad dog" __a__small, child like voice called out._

_"Bad dog __" _another voice, almost cartoon like.

_"He shouldn't attack us" _another spoke.

_"Shouldn't attack us"_

_"Bad Dog" _

_"Bad"_

_"We should eat him"_

_"Eat the dog"_

_"Bad dog"_

_"Bad dog taste bad"_

And the voices all erupted in a cacophony of shrill laughter.

Sam froze, caught in shock and surprise.

"Hello?" he called out.

_"Hello"_

_"It says Hello"_

_"Big giant man"_

_"Big giant man says hello"_

_"Big giant man might eat us!"_

This made the little cartoon voices erupt into laughter again. Sam counted at least five different voices, but that

laughter seemed to indicate there were many more little creatures.

"Who is there?" he asked, softly, so as not to cause alarm. "My name is Sam."

_"Sam"_

_"Sam"_

_"Big giant man is Sam"_

_"Big giant Sam"_

_"Sam I am"_

_"I am Sam"_

They laughed again.

"I just wanna talk" Sam told them. "I'm looking for my bother."

_"Talk"_

_"He wants to talk"_

_"Sam I am wants to talk."_

_"Giant Sam wants to talk"_

_"Sam I am has a gun"_

_"A gun"_

_"Sam I am has a gun"_

_"Giant Sam I am will shoot us"_

_"Shoot us"_

_"Kill us and eat us"_

_"Sam I am eat us"_

_"Shoot and eat us"_

Sam looked at his gun, and carefully placed it into the waistband of his jeans, at the front, making sure it was

easy to grab.

"I am just looking for my brother. Have you seen him?"

The voices giggled and whispered, Sam couldn't make out what they were saying.

_"Brother" _one called out.

_"Brother"_

_"Sam I am has a broth__er"_

_"Giant Sam. Giant Brother"_

_"Brother eat us?"_

_"We eat brother!" _and the giggles started again.

"Look" Sam said, trying to find one of the creatures in amongst the shifting pile of grossness. "Look. I don't want

to hurt anybody. And I'm not gonna eat anybody. I think my brother is hurt, and it would be great if you could help

me find him"

Giggles again.

_"Help you"_

_"Help you find him"_

_"Help giant Sam"_

_"Help Sam I am find his brother"_

_Help Sam eat his brother"_

_"Eat Sam's brother"_

_"Eat Sam"_

_"Eat Sam. Eat his brother"_

Sam felt exasperated. "NO! No one is going to eat anyone." He took a breath to calm himself, and immediately

regretted it as he pulled in the cloying sickness of the rotted flesh. He dry heaved, and tried again. "I just want to

find my brother and get out of here. Something took him"

The laughter broke out again, the shrill voices cutting through the pain in his head like broken glass.

_"Something took him"_

_"Something took the giant Sam brother"_

_"Something took the Sam brother"_

_"Find the brother"_

_"He doesn't know"_

_"Doesn't know where he is"_

_"Doesn't know who took him"_

They laughed again.

"Will you help me?" Sam asked, his patience wearing thin, but unsure of how to get these weird creatures to

cooperate.

_"Help him"_

_"Wants us to help him"_

_"Giant Sam thinks we can help"_

_"Help Giant Sam"_

_"He doesn't know"_

_"Sam doesn't know"_

_"Doesn't know we took him"_

_"Took giant Sam's brother"_

_"Eat him!"_

_"Eat giant Sam brother!"_

"What?" Sam yelled, pulled his gun out, but something banged him on the back of the head, knocking him out.

X

X

X

X

Bobby heard something. He stopped, listening intently, but it had stopped. He swept his flashlight around, making

sure he kept an eye on the roof, as well as the tunnel before him. No, he couldn't hear anything, so he trudged

on.

There it was again…a sort of…what was that? Birds?

No, it was laughing. Like, high pitched, munchkin laughter. Off in the distance, echoing back to him.

He walked on a bit more, and he heard it again, only this time, he thought he heard a man's voice, as well. Then

he heard a dog bark, and started to run. He came to a split in the tunnel, and was about to turn off his torch

again when he heard the laughter from the second entrance. He headed in, and this time heard the man's voice

again…. Sam, he was sure it was Sam.

That laughter followed, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prick up. He slowed a little, more cautious,

sweeping the torch around the large tunnel, until the light caught movement on the floor. There was a large

shape, and there seemed to be dozens of small creatures crawling all over it. Bobby stepped closer, and the small

creatures started to squeal and scuttle away from the light.

Bobby stepped closer, and realised it was Sam on the ground, Vadar was huddled back, crouched in a terrified ball

near the disgusting pile of…what the hell was that?

He grabbed Sam's shoulders, and gently shook him. "C'mon boy, wake up" he urged "Sam? Sam, can you hear

me?"

_"Sam"_

_"Giant Sam"_

_"Sam I am wake up"_

_"Wake up"_

_"Sam I am can't hear me"_

_"Giant Sam can't hear me"_

Sam groaned, and coughed, his eyes fluttered open.

"Thank God" muttered Bobby, and the voices squealed.

_"He said it"_

_"Angry man said it"_

_"You shouldn't say it"_

_"Giant Sam didn't say it"_

"What in the hell are those things?" Sam asked Bobby, as he sat up, groggy, but sound.

"You ok, Sam?" Bobby asked him, and felt the lump on his head, this on the back. "Looks like you've gone a coupla

rounds, here"

"Yeah" he groaned, and pulled up to his feet, swaying just a little. "I got knocked out, twice. I think these guys

knocked me out the second time. Did you knock me out?" he turned and yelled at the pile of yech.

_"Knocked him out"_

_"Knocked out Giant Sam"_

_"Clunked him good"_

_"Sam hit the deck"_

_"Sam I am crashed to the deck"_

_"Saved Giant Sam"_

_"Made I am Sam safe"_

"Wait…what?" Sam looked at Bobby, who looked just as confused as he felt. "These guys said they took Dean" he

told him.

"They took Dean?" Bobby asked. "Are you sure? They're tiny, how could they knock you out and take your

brother?"

"I don't know. They keep talking in these confusing, broken sentences, about eating everything" Sam rubbed his

face, and swayed a little. Bobby caught his arm to steady him.

"Maybe sit down a bit, boy" he soothed, and Sam complied. "We gotta find Dean, Bobby. He's hurt, and he's all

alone" he turned his puppy dog eyes up at Bobby.

"I know, son, but we gotta figure out what we got here." He rummaged through his duffel, and handed Sam a

bottle of water. "Did you get a chance to see what these things are before they clunked you?"

Sam shook his head, and winced at the movement. Bobby produced a couple of Tylenol, and Sam swallowed them

gratefully.

"They're tiny, and annoying, and I think they live in that pile of stink" he took another swig of the water. "But I

don't think they're what we're hunting. Too small."

"You're right" Bobby agreed. "I think they're urchins" He shone his torch over to the pile producing such an

offensive odour. "They're a type of elf, and they're supposed to be extinct." He wrinkled his nose. "Just like a lot of

things lately. I'm thinking they're drawn to the pile of crap there, which was probably left by the thing we're

hunting." He walked closer to the pile. "Am I right?" he asked it.

_"Talks to us"_

_"Asks us a question"_

_"Angry man asks a question"_

_"Angry man knows what we are "_

_"Tell him the truth?"_

_"Knock him on the head"_

_"Knock angry man on the head and eat him!"_

Bobby pulled a sawn off out of his duffel. "Hit the angry man on the head and he'll unload a ton of lead in yer

asses" He pointed it at the pile. "Now send out someone in charge."

Silence followed his threat, then quietly, small, fearful whispers filtered through, then silence again claimed the

dark.

"Angry man waiting" Bobby stated.

_"Angry man waiting"_ echoed a small voice.

_"Angry man will shoot us"_

_"Angry man wants to speak to us"_

_"Angry man scares us"_

_"Scares us"_

_"Scared"_

"Bullshit. Git yer ass out here or I'll give yah something to be scared about" Bobby yelled back.

A small scurrying, more whispers, then a small creature plopped on the ground in front of him.

It stood no more than two foot high, and was dark, wearing a cloak of some rough fabric, that covered its entire

body, baggy sleeves only allowing small black clawed hands to show, and no facial features peaked out of the

hood at all.

_"Yer ass is out here"_ it said, and Bobby's torch reflected off tiny white teeth.

_"Ass is out"_

"_Out with Angry man"_

_"Angry man wants to speak"_ echoed the small creatures companions from the pile behind it.

"What are you?" Sam asked.

The little thing turned to face him.

_"Yer Ass"_ it replied.

"No, really, what are you? What is your name?"

The little creature just stood there, and then shrugged.

_"Yer Ass"_ it pointed at Bobby. _"Angry man said get Yer Ass."_

_"Yer Ass" _

_"Get Yer Ass out here"_

_"Scared"_

_"Scared of angry man"_

_"Not scared of Sam"_

_"Sam I am not scary"_ the companions called out.

Bobby gave a little huff of a laugh. "Yer name is Yer Ass?"

The little creature nodded. _" Uh Uh Uh Rass. Says Urass"_

_"Name is Urass"_

_"Urass"_

_"Urass is name"_

"Wow" Sam shook his head. "That's one unfortunate name"

Bobby nodded in agreement. "Ok, Urass, just what the hell are you?"

The small creature just stood there. Sam touched Bobby's arm. "Um, Urass?" The creature faced him. "Look. My

brother is missing. We think something bad took him. You said _you_ took him. Can you tell me where he is?"

Urass stood silent. He shrugged, then turned to the pile behind him. _"Sam I Am wants his brother"_

_"Giant Sam wants brother"_

_"Giant brother is wanted"_

_I am Sam wants his brother"_

_"Knock his brother on the head" _

_"Eat Sam I am brother. Knock him on the head and eat him"_

"There will be no eating of anyone!" Sam exclaimed, startling Urass, who jumped in fright. "I just want to know

where he is. Please, Urass, please, can you tell me?"

_"Giant man said please"_

_"Sam I am ask for help"_

_"Giant Sam wants his brother"_

_"Asks us please for help"_

_"Asks us please"_

_"Says Please"_

Urass listened to the voices from the pile, and stepped forward. _"Urass can take Sam I am and Angry Man to Sam _

_brother. Sam and Angry Man can follow Urass"_

_"Follow Urass"_

_"Angry man and Giant Sam follow Urass"_

_"Find Sam I Am brother"_

_"I am Sam said Please"_

_"Urass help Sam and Angry Man"_

"Okay, then" Said Bobby. He picked up his duffel, and handed Sam his pack. "Let's go find Giant Sam brother"

Vadar whimpered, but jumped up to take his place beside Sam, and they headed off, around the putrid pile of stench.

X

X

**A/N I hope you like this one, it's kinda weird, and does continue to go there for a little. Please leave a word or two for review, if you can...**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N Warnings for Dean ill, not much else...**

**x**

Dean moaned, though he wasn't sure if the noise was just in his head. He was confused and hot, and he

didn't feel very good at all. His stomach rolled queasily, and his throat hurt.

The bed he lay on was very uncomfortable, and it smelled like piss and vomit. He vaguely remembered

vomiting...oh god..did he wet the bed? He'd never live that down. He felt very sick, and he didn't know how

long he'd been here... but it had been a while. Where was Sam?

He tried to turn over, but found he couldn't move. In fact, he couldn't feel his legs at all. He tried to move his

arms, but for all he knew he didn't have any...he couldn't feel them at all, either. Maybe Sam had given

something to him, to make him sleep, and he wasn't awake properly...or something.

Sammy? He tried to say it out loud, but he couldn't. Maybe if he thought hard enough, Sammy would come. He

remebered waking up before, and being sick. And he still smelled like it was all over him.

That wasn't right. Sam wouldv'e cleaned him up. He would've woken him up and got him into the shower.

There's been times, a long time ago, when Dean had thrown up after a bender, and Sam had always got him

into the shower, helped him clean up, and put him to bed in clean sheets...

These sheets weren't clean. They stunk.

Was Sam drunk, too? Had they both been on a bender?

He couldn't remember. He felt his stomach roll again, and this time his groan was out loud. He did _not_ feel like

he'd been drinking. He felt like hammered shit.

"Sammy?" he croaked, and even though his fever was high, and his ears were ringing, he knew he hadn't

called out loud. That plea had been no more than a whisper.

He felt very bad. He felt like he was dying.

Why would Sammy leave him alone to die in his own vomit and pee?

Was Sam okay? Had Sam left him here to die...because he'd lost his soul again?

Was Sam dead? Oh god..was Sam dead? "Sammy" he groaned, and this time he managed to move his head a

bit.

Big mistake...the small movement was more than his poor body could handle, and he threw up again. This

time, because he had moved his head back, he started to choke. The bile burned his already sore throat, and

he coughed weakly, not enough strength to clear his blocked windpipe. His eyes teared, and the more he

gasped for breath the more he pulled the vomit into his lungs, and he was powerless to expel it.

He saw black spots in front of his eyes, and he knew if he blacked out he'd never wake up.

Dean tried to move again, but to no avail. His coughing wracked his poor body, and by sheer luck alone he

slipped a little further onto his side, and managed to turn his head.

It was enough. He threw up again and this time he was able to make sure he didn't breathe it back in. He

finally got a little air into his oxygen starved lungs and tried to breathe deep, but this just made him cough

more. He couldn't handle any more punishment, he was just too weak.

He coughed feebly, and all he could think about was trying to breathe. Just to breathe...

He slipped back into oblivion...

X

X

X

X

Sam and Bobby followed the tiny, strange little creature as he made his way through the passage, their

torches lighting their way, but Urass seemed to be able to navigate quite well without any illumination. The

tunnel was twisting, dank and odorous, as well the roof seemed to be getting lower and lower. At first Sam

bent to keep his head safe from the rocky outcrops but soon he would have to crawl, and Bobby had also

taken to walking stooped over.

"Hey, um, Urass?" he called out. "Does the tunnel get any smaller? We can't walk anymore"

Urass looked back, and shrugged. "Smaller, then smaller, then taller" and he turned and continued on. Bobby

and Sammy exchanged grim faces, and both went to all fours. Shining the torches and crawling was difficult,

and the little creature didn't slow any to accommodate their discomfort. Vadar followed along faithfully, but

every now and then let out a mournful whimper.

After a few hundred meters Bobby swore as his head hit the roof, and before long both hunters were forced

to squirm along on their stomachs.

"If it gets much smaller we won't be able to follow you anymore" Sam

called out to Urass, who did not slow or turn around, he just huffed a bit and kept walking. Sam grunted and

pulled himself along as quickly as he could, the sides of the cave starting to rub against his broad shoulders.

Even the dog had to crawl along, and he whinged nearly every step.

It was almost impossible to hold his torch and slither as well, so he was doing pretty much everything by

touch alone, when all of a sudden he hit bobby's boot. He looked up, shining his torch, and found Bobby was

standing. "You gonna lay around all day?" Bobby joked, and Sam groaned and pulled himself through to the

larger tunnel with Bobby, and stood to his full height. They were in a large, round area, with several other

tunnels leading off, all of which, Sam noted with relief, were tall enough for him to stand in. Vadar piled in

after him, and shook all over like he was ridding himself of the tunnel.

"You see, as I told, now taller" Urass told them. He was standing a little further off, waiting for them.

"Ok, you were right. Lead the way!" Sam agreed, but the little creature did not move.

"Something wrong?" Bobby asked it, and it threw its hands in the air.

"There is reasons to stop. Very good reasons!" it hissed. It moved a little closer to Sam, and lifted its gaze.

Sam shone his torch down, and saw for the first time the twisted, grey, wizened old face that looked back up

at him. The claw hands immediately clamped over it's eyes, and Sam shone the torch to the side. "I'm sorry. I

didn't mean that" he told the urchin quietly.

Urass dropped his hands. "Understanding is mine. But we have to be much quiet. There are reasons for

stopping. There are reasons for being quiet"

He gestured for the hunters to bend down to his level. "Sit" he whispered "Wait. Quiet"

"Wait for what?" Bobby asked, and Urass grabbed his pant leg.

"Quiet!" he hissed. "Must sit. Must wait. Must QUIET!"

"Okay, okay" Bobby sat, and Sam shuffled beside him.

"Why do we need to wait, Urass?" Sam asked him. "I'm really worried about my brother"

The little urchin also sat, and flipped his hood back, revealing a small, grey wrinkly head, completely devoid of

hair. It's eyes were black, and his mouth a slash across the round face, small pointy white teeth glinting in the

torch light. He tilted his head, a little, and studied the hunters. Both Bobby and Sam just sat there, waiting to

see what the little fellow would do next.

Finally he seemed to make up his mind, and nodded the little apple head. "We will wait a small time more" he

whispered. "Bagool is in the chambers, and he will find us if we move".

Bobby raised his brow. "Bagool? Is he an urchin, too?"

"Angry man is silly" Urass scoffed. "Bagool is old. Older than Urass. Older than old." He shuffled himself up to

his haunches. "Bagool is evil. He takes souls. He was not allowed to walk on the top side for a time of

measure of lives, and more"

He looked towards one of the tunnels, and sniffed. Vadar softly growled, and Sam patted him to quiet and

reassure the frightened animal.

Urass nodded. "Only now he can leave. Only now he has been let to come up. He must get souls. He must

take many".

"Does he take more than the soul?" Sam asked softly.

Urass nodded. "He takes all" he touched the base of his tiny neck, then drew a line to his lower torso "all. Soul is inside here, and he takes all".

Bobby shifted uncomfortably on the rocky floor. "Does this, ah, Bagool, does he like women, the best?"

The urchin giggled. "He only takes women. Only. Unless" he leaned forward, like sharing a secret "Unless their soul is very big. Very hero."

Sam ran his hand through his hair, becoming even more worried. "Urass, is my bother's soul very big?"

Bobby placed his hand on Sam's shoulder, reassurance flowing from him. The urchin nodded. "Giant Sam brother has soul biggest ever seen by Urass."

He also reached forward, and placed his hand on Sam, only reaching his knee, though. "Sam I am should not worry. Urchins saved Sam brother. Urchins

not evil." He giggled again. "Not _very_ evil, maybe"

"What does that mean, urchins saved my brother?" Sam asked him, feeling the desperation reaching fever pitch. "How did you save him? Is he safe

now?"

Urass stood, and brushed off his dirty cloak. "Bagool bring Sam brother to place of eating. He leave brother alone and went up to top side again. Urchins

clever. Urchins watch. Urchins wait." He walked towards one of the openings, and sniffed. "Urchins see man alone. Big soul. Urchins drag man. Very

heavy. Very hard. Urchins take him to other home. Bury him. Bagool cannot find him. Cannot smell him. Sam brother safe."

"You buried him?" Sam tried not to panic. These were little guys. They were trying to save his brother, they wouldn't have literally buried him…would

they?

Urass nodded. "Buried. Clever. Very, very clever. Urass idea! Bagool cannot smell man. Cannot find man. Only man face open. Bagool is not clever. Urchins

trick Bagool!"

"When can you take us to him? You see" he took a deep breath " I'm very worried about him"

"Worry worry worry. No need to worry, Sam I am. Brother was alive. Was bleeding. Was not awake. But was alive"

"He's probably unconscious" Bobby said. He turned to the urchin. "What did you bury the brother in?" He asked it.

"Took giant Sam brother to other home. Other home is pile of food. Buried brother in food. Bagool never find him."

"Oh, God, Bobby, they buried him in a stench pile" Sam groaned.

"Saved is life. And if he's not conscious, he won't know" Bobby looked at Urass again. "When can we get Sam's bother?"

"Small time more. Not large"

"Urass, who let Bagool topside?" Bobby asked him.

The little urchin shuffled a foot, and looked uncomfortable. "Not good to say this" he muttered. "The mother does not like it."

"Mother? Mother let Bagool up?"

Sam and Bobby stood, anxious, wanting to know more.

"The mother of Bagool let him up. The mother wants the souls. The mother needs the souls. Bagool likes to take the souls. Likes to follow.

Likes to scare. Likes to creep in the dark, and take the all."

Bobby nodded. "Does Urass know how to kill Bagool?" He squatted back down, and looked the little creature as close to in the eye as he

could. "Would Urass tell us how to kill Bagool?"

Urass looked back up at Bobby. "Angry man treats Urass like…like a man" He seemed pleased. "Urass will tell! Urass will help!"

Suddenly, Vadar jumped up, barking, backing away.

"URASS WILL DIE, FIRST!" an angry growl reverberated through the cavern. Urass squealed and ran behind Bobby, holding his pant leg.

Sam and Bobby found themselves face to face with the very creature they'd been hunting**….**

X

X

**A/N Hope you're still here...**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Work slamming again, sorry about the delay...also spoiler warnings for season six...**

**x**

Sam stroked Dean's face, his touch soft, caring. He felt Dean's forehead, and left his hand rest there. For

once, Dean didn't shrug it off with a comment about chick flick moments. Truth was, this past year, there had

not been many moments at all that showed any care and concern. Dean was pleased for the contact,

especially as he felt so bad. His head hurt, his throat burned and he felt like he was going to throw up. And

he'd had the strangest dream he wanted to tell Sam about. Trouble was, he didn't think it was a dream. He

tried to talk, and his voice wouldn't come out. He looked up to Sam, and his eyes wouldn't open.

He realized it wasn't Sam stroking his face, it was Lisa. She smiled at him, and leaned in to kiss him on the top

of the head. But instead of kissing him, she bit him. He tried to raise his hand, but he couldn't. What the fuck

was going on? He finally got his eyes open, but it was almost too dark to see anything. There was a faint

glow on the roof...but he couldn't make out any real shapes.

He also could see there was no one there. No Lisa, no Sam. Something bit him on the head again, and he

gasped, not able to make any noise other than the sharp intake of breath. Blood started to trickle into his

eyes, but he couldn't wipe it away.

The thing on his head bit him again, and Dean hissed in pain. This time the noise was enough to send the

creature scuttling away.

A rat? Had a rat been biting him? Oh, man, this sucked out loud. Where was Sam? How had he gotten here?

Why were rats biting him? He tried to move, and couldn't. There was something heavy on top of him, and it

was pinning him flat. He tried to wriggle one arm, but the thing on him was too heavy, and he was too weak.

He could feel sweat start to trickle down his face to join the blood, and his stomach heaved.

He would've thrown up, but there didn't seem to be anything there to expel. How long had he been here? He

vaguely remembered waking up at least once before. Had Sam abandoned him? Was Sam dead?

"Sammy..." his call was no more than expressed air, but still it burned his dry throat, cauterised his tongue,

and cracked his lips further. He was in a bad way, and it didn't seem that anyone was coming.

Where was Sam? Sam wouldn't leave him...he wouldn't. Sam had his soul back. He was sure...wasn't he? He

didn't dream that, he didn't. Yes.

He was sure.

At least, he thought he was.

Sam had left him before. Sam had left him to become a vampire. But he wouldn't leave him now. If he was

able, he'd be here.

Which could only mean that he wasn't able. Dean knew, with all of his heart, he knew. If Sam could be here,

he would.

He wouldn't leave Dean trapped here…. Wherever_ here_ was. Here smelled bad, and it was dark.

Dean tried to force his eyes open, and succeeded, just a crack. There was a dim glow, very faint, from the

ceiling. His eyes refused to focus and the dim light wasn't enough to give his confused brain any clues as to

where he was…. Just that he was alone. Nothing moved. He tried to move his arms, the effort making sweat

drip and pool in with the blood on his forehead, stinging his already sore eyes.

Something was on top of him, pinning him down. It was heavy, and he was too weak to pull himself free. The

small effort of trying to dislodge his arms left him breathless and dizzy.

He closed his eyes and tried to steady his ragged breaths. Where was Sam? Why wasn't Sam here?

Dean hated being alone. Always had. Even before fate turned him into a motherless child, back when he had

two loving parents, a clean, warm, comfortable bed and a nightlight to chase the bogey man away, he feared

being alone.

He knew his brother was aware of that, but would never voice it out loud. Not in a million. He knew Bobby had

probably figured it out as well, but Bobby knew when do talk about things, and when to just leave it.

He knew it was more the fear of losing his family, of losing the ones who meant more to him that the very

breath he took, and that he'd lost his loved ones too many times.

First his mother, and the comfort she took with her. His father, and most of the friends he's ever met or made.

And Sam. He's lost him too many times. Too many times.

His heart had been broken repeatedly when his brother had died. It was more than his soul could take.

Oh, he'd lost Bobby, and Cas, too, but only for a moment. And while their loss hurt, it was overshadowed buy

that great gaping wound that watching his brother fall down the pit had torn into his very being.

And he had gotten them back.

Yes, he's had Lisa and Ben, for a while. But he was alone with them. Alone in what he was, in who he was.

They tried, and they cared, but they could never really understand, or be there.

Not like Sam. Not ever like Sam.

Every day he would wake up, from what little sleep he could manage, his heart racing, his throat convulsing,

his first thoughts always _SAM. _

But Sam had been gone. Lost, tortured for a millennium, while he was alone. _Alone._

Then Sam had come back, but he wasn't really Sam. Not really. He looked like Sam, he smelled like Sam…but it

wasn't him. At least, not all of him.

But that changed. Slowly Dean could begin to forget the RoboSam, as his loving, gentle, strong, scary

gigantor of a brother emerged from the ether of the past to once again guard his brother's back.

"I got your back". Simple words, but they had meant so much…so much.

But where was he now? Where was Sam? Was he okay? Was he alive?

Dean pried his poor eyes open again, and tried to figure out where he was. It smelled bad. Real bad. Death

and guts and vomit and piss. Sam would never leave him here. Not on purpose.

He tried, with all the strength he had left, to roll over.

To no avail. Bright spots swirled in front of his half closed lids, and if he's had anything in his stomach he

would have heaved it all over himself.

He gasped, his head pounding, his throat burning, the smells of putrid decay filling his nostrils and making him

feel even worse. He felt complete and total despair. Sam was gone. And he was alone.

Alone.

He started to cry, heaving sobs that caught his heart, tears mingled with the blood and sweat. His chest

hitched and tears flowed, he cried until he fell asleep again.

X

X

X

X

Bobby levelled his gun at the creature before him. It was hard to see exactly what it looked like in the

torchlight, best as he can tell it looked a bit like a wendigo, but taller, and, maybe, a bit thinner.

Urass clutched Bobby's leg even tighter, little squeals of fright bursting out of him, and Vadar stood, hackles

raised, growling, but backing up, fear clear in his very stance.

Sam raised his weapon and fired several shots of silver into the creatures chest. He wasn't sure where the

heart was located, so he made sure his spread would catch any heart in the creature, bad light or not, he

was a good shot and did not miss. The creature fell back as step, but didn't fall, instead it shook itself and

advanced on the three.

Bobby unloaded his clip into the creatures head, this time it fell, but quickly rose to all fours and turned, loping

like a dog, out of the chamber. Vadar then chose this moment to rush after it, but skidded to a halt at the

mouth of the tunnel.

Not quite brave enough.

"So brave. Angry man and Sam I am so brave" Urass whispered, and Bobby reached around and peeled him

off his leg. He placed the small creature in front of him, and he and Sam looked at eachother.

"So, silver don't work" said Bobby.

"Hurt it, though" Sam replied.

He reloaded his clip, then squatted down in front of the urchin. "Urass, can we kill this thing?"

The little creature was still shaking in shock and fear. It vigorously nodded its head, but put both its hands

over the trembling mouth.

"Hey, Urass, it's ok" Sam soothed. "We can protect you. You're very important to us. You saved Giant Sam's

brother, right?" Urass nodded, hands still firmly in place. "And Giant Sam still needs you to help find his

brother. We're not going to let anything happen to you. You're very, very important"

Urass dropped his hands a little, but his mouth was still clamped shut. Sam looked up to Bobby for support.

The elder hunter kneeled beside him. "Like Sam said, you're very important. We need to find Sam's brother,

and we caint do that without you. That makes you the most important man here".

The urchin started to giggle. "Man" he chuckled. "Angry man calls Urass a man".

"It's Bobby" he corrected "And you _are_ a man. Aint you?"

Urass stood as tall as he could pull himself. "Man….. man. Yes! Urass is _man!_" He propped his tiny claw hands

on his hips. "Urass will help. But angry Bobby and Giant Sam will protect, yes?"

"Yes" both hunters answered in unison, and they stood up.

"Well, what do we do?" Sam asked. "My brother is still missing and I need to find him. Can we kill Bagool first,

or can we get to my brother safely instead?" Sam ran his hand through his hair, exasperated. "He really

needs me, Urass, and I'm very worried he might be really hurt"

The urchin puffed out his chest. "Can go to brother, but Bagool wants brother. Wants soul. Best if you kill

Bagool first. But careful is also best" he pointed at Bobby. "Soul is also big in Angry Bobby"

Sam's brow wrinkled. "Um, Urass? What about my soul?" he looked at Bobby, and the older hunter saw the

worry darkening the young man's eyes. "Bagool knocked me aside. What's wrong with my soul?"

Urass hung his head, and muttered to himself, before looking up at Sam. "Crying"

"You're crying?" Sam asked him.

"No. Giant Sam I am soul sad. Soul hurt. Not for Bagool. Not for…not for anyone….Torn. Broken." He seemed at

a loss to explain , shaking his small head. "Sam brother soul hurt, but not like this. Not so….broken"

Sam met Bobby's concerned look, and felt his eyes tear up. He didn't want to be broken. He didn't want his

soul torn up. He knew there was a wall he should not touch, and that there'd be dire consequences. But a

soul so damaged a monster wouldn't touch it? How could he comprehend that?

"Well, You're right about Dean's soul" he said to the little creature. "Biggest damn soul ever walked this earth.

So how do we gank this dirtbag?".

X

X

**A/N ... I promise to try to get the next chapter out a lot faster... I said try, so no angries if I can't get it out til next week! Oh, you can review anonymously, if you want...I'm not gonna beg... yet..**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Sometimes life is hard...makes it even harder to write...**

**X**

**X**

Urass pulled on a cord that was around his neck, and as he pulled it up Sam saw it was attached to a small bag.

He kissed the bag, then removed the cord from his neck and bowed, low, holding the bag out to Sam.

Sam took it, such a small thing dwarfed in his large man hands. "What is it?"he asked the urchin.

"Special magic. Powerful magic. Giant Sam need this magic."

Sam sniffed the bag, and pulled a face. "This will kill Bagool?"

Urass giggled. "No. Yes. No." The urchin turned to Bobby. "Will help. Can kill. Not on own. Need to add. Need to

mix. Need to make potion."

Bobby nodded. "Okay, I'm buying. Whadda we need?"

Urass gave them a long list of ingredients, none of which the hunters had with them. "We're gonna have to go

and get these things, Urass" Sam explained to the little creature. "Are you sure we need to kill Bagool first?"

"We really don't wanna leave Sam's brother here too long" Bobby added. The urchin nodded enthusiastically.

"If no kill Bagool, for certain Bagool steal soul of Angry Bobby and Sam Brother. And kill Giant Sam."He folded his

little claw hands in front of him. "Also need the Dagger of Heirarchal. Dip in potion. This kill Bagool."

"The what? Where the hell do we get that? Bobby.."Sam turned to the older hunter, real fear on his face. "Maybe

we should just try to get Dean out before this thing recovers. He's in a stench pile, and he's hurt. We can't leave

him here any longer."

Bobby placed a reassuring hand on Sam's arm. "I think Urass is kinda the expert here. He knows this creature,

and if he says it'll kill us before we can get Dean out, I'm inclined to believe him. Besides" he swung his swag up

over his shoulder. "I happen to know where the Dagger of Heirarchal is"

X

X

X

X

"Are you sure this hunter will help us?"Sam asked Bobby as they pulled up to the dilapidated double wide. Bobby

creaked open the passenger door of the impala, and turned to face Sam.

"He owes me. Big time."

"But the dagger? If it's as rare as you said…there's no guarantee he'll let us have it. Bobby, we gotta get Dean

out. He's been in that pile for too long, if he's wounded and that crap is all over him, he's probably running an

infection already." Sam ran his hand through his hair, despair showing clearly on his face, his brow furrowed, his

eyes shining with tears that he refused to shed. "He's waiting for me. He probably thinks I'm dead."

Bobby knew he had to pull Sam out of this mood. He was close to losing it, and if he lost his temper with the

hunter in the trailer, then their hopes of getting the dagger would be lost. He did the only thing he knew how to

do…tough love.

"So, cry me a river, princess" he gruffed, and Sam's head snapped up to meet his glare. "You're not helping Dean

here with your sorry ass attitude. Yeah, he's stuck in the stench pile, but he's unconscious. So suck it up, shake

it off, and get in here and help me sweet talk this dagger outta the tightest mook you'll ever meet." He swung

out of the car, his heart thudding, hoping that Sam would steel himself with the cutting words, and not notice

Bobby's own hands shaking, his eyes also moist with tears of worry and fear.

He heard Sam's door slam behind him as he walked up the rickety steps of the mobile home, the strong steps as

he marched up to meet Bobby were steady and purposeful. Good. He'd donned his mask of Winchester, pushing

his worry and feelings way down, hidden by the need to get the job done. As much as it pained Bobby to force

this on the boy, he knew it was also one of the greatest skills the hunters possessed, the ability to focus on the

job, leave their fears and nightmares to one side while they did what they had to do.

It's what made them such good hunters. It's what they needed to survive. Now, more than ever.

Vadar also padded up beside Bobby, and stood expectantly at the door, waiting to be let in. Sam grabbed his

leash, and took him back to the car. No need to frighten the hunter with the biggest doberman he's ever likely

to see.

He rapped on the flimsy door and waited, hoping his old friend was home. Well, friend was a very loose term for

the relationship Bobby shared with this particular hunter. But they had fought side by side, and in this war

against evil, that made you a friend. When you had to trust your back to another man while facing down

unspeakable evil, it counted that the hunter there with you cared enough to die for you.

And you them.

A slow shuffle and a clicking of the lock at least showed someone was home, and when a shotgun near hit Bobby

in the cheek, he knew who it was. "Pete, you dirty bastard, put that away and let me in. I got a bit of a pickle I

need your help with."

'Pete' threw the aluminum door of the double wide ajar and grabbed Bobby by the front of the shirt. "Maybe I'm

sick of you turning up always looking for help" he growled. Sam stepped up to protect Bobby, who was laughing.

"Maybe you don't get any action unless I'm here giving you a job, you slack jawed ass." Pete laughed then, as

well, and clapped Bobby on the shoulder, leading him into the dark interior of his home. He looked up then, and

caught sight of Sam.

"What's this, you bring me a moose?"he joked, and thrust his chubby hand out to Sam. The young hunter took it,

and shook his hand warmly. The older hunter seemed harmless enough, he was short, chubby, red thinning hair

and too many freckles to count. His twinkling blue eyes shone out with humor and honesty, and Sam felt himself

instantly drawn to the man.

"The moose is named Sam. Sam Winchester."Bobby informed him, and Pete pulled him into the trailer, nearly

thrusting him onto a raggedy armchair.

"John's boy? You the younger one?"

"Yeah. Dean's the oldest."Sam looked to Bobby, his face showing the effort of holding back the story of their

predicament, and his wish to scream out to Pete to just give him the damn dagger _right now!_

"So, I aint a fool. I know yah dint come here to get a beer and show off the tallest hunter in the USA. What

gives?" Pete pulled open his refrigerator and pulled out three beers, handing them around. "It's nearly dark, you

guys smell of sweat and dirt, and yah look like yah been crawling around on the ground."

Bobby took a long swig, and filled in the hunter, right up to the ingredients for the spell, and the dagger. Pete

said nothing the whole time, he just slowly peeled the label off his beer bottle while he listened.

"So, can you help us?" Sam asked, his eyes pleading.

Pete took a deep breath, and looked up to meet those puppy dog eyes. He furrowed his brow, quirked an

eyebrow, and let out the breath, but said nothing. Sam looked at Bobby, who shrugged, but gave a little

reassuring nod. He knew Pete, and he knew the dramatics was all for show.

"Look behind yah, boy" Pete finally said, and Sam turned to look at the wall behind him. He was confused, at

first, as there was a multitude of framed photographs, a singing fish…then he saw it. A large, ancient looking

knife mounted on a block of sawn off driftwood. He nearly tipped the armchair as he jumped up to grab it, and

Pete started to laugh.

"Aint yah seen Indiana Jones, Sam?" he laughed. "It aint the fancy one that's necessarily the right one." He

walked over to the tall man, and leaned across, taking a small knife from a shelf, it's appearance nondescript, it

looked nothing more than an old steak knife with a tarnished bone handle.

"This" he held the knife up with a flourish "Is the Dagger of Heirarchal. It was forged to kill the Orc of the

Gateway, your Bagool." He handed it to Sam, who turned it over, looking at the unremarkable blade. The only

thing he could see that hinted at its hidden potential was very, very fine sigils, scrawled over every part of the

blade.

"Where's you get it?" Sam asked.

Pete chuckled. "Oh, it was a big fight. Huge." He looked back at Bobby, who handed him his beer. "I had to fight

some of the meanest creatures you'd ever face on this planet! Flesh eating, lying, stinking little urchins. Eat yah

eyes right out of yah head if yah give ém a chance."

"Urchins? They've been helping us" Sam told him, and Pete's smile fell for the first time.

"Don't trust them! Don't believe a word they say!" He slammed his beer bottle down on the Formica bench.

"They're servants of Bagool! They'll do anything he asks of them, and will _lay down their lives_ keeping him safe!

He's like, their, um, their god! They'll bullshit yah until the cows come home, just to get yah away from him!" He

rubbed a hand over his face. "Wait, he's that, um, Yer Ass yah been telling me about? For Christ's Sake, Bobby,

don't yah know your lore on urchins and Orcs?"

"Cleary not" Bobby growled. "They're the ones who gave us the recipe for the potion, and told us about the

dagger. Why would they do that if they're helping Bagool?"

"Hey. Um. Look." Sam walked over and handed the dagger to Bobby. "Not all of the urchins are helping us. Just

one. And Bagool tried to kill him when he found out he was helping us. Is there a chance that he's telling us the

truth?" He sat, heavily, and ran both his hands though his long hair. "Coz we got nothing else. And my brother is

alone in those caves with the orc and the urchins. Unless you know something?" he finished, his gaze once

again pleading with Pete.

The balding hunter shook his head. "The dagger is supposed to kill Bagool. That bit, I'm sure is true. The potion?

I dunno. Maybe it's needed, maybe it's a trick. Don't sound like we got a whole lotta options." He turned to

Bobby. "I got all the ingredients. Let's make it up, and get back to the caves. I got a book here, somewhere,

that's got a bit more info, see if I can find where the hell I put it."

He reached under the counter, and pulled out a large box, filled with just about every herb and enchanted object

Bobby had ever heard of. He looked to Sam, who jumped up and started rummaging through the box to find all

that he need for the potion.

"It's gotta work, Bobby. We don't have a plan B"

"If I can find that book we might just. If yah both do the potion, I'll go look" and Pete shuffled off to the end of

the trailer.

X

X

X

X

The urchins moved almost as one, looking like a swarm as they made their way to the stench pile that housed

Dean.

"Kill the Sam Brother"

"Sam Brother"

"Eat the Sam Brother"

"Kill the Giant Sam Brother."

"Kill the Sam Brother. Eat the Sam Brother."

They chatted and giggled as the marched along, the passages of the caves almost totally dark, just here and

there a faint phosphorescent glow lit the ceiling and the walls. They came at last to the large chamber that

housed the pile of rotted carcass that they had hidden the unconscious hunter in.

There, at the door, one lone, tiny figure stood.

"Must not eat the Sam I Am brother" told them. "Must not hurt. Must not kill. Must not touch Giant Sam I Am

brother"

"Not eat brother?"

"Not kill brother?"

"Save for Bagool!"

"Wait for Bagool!"

"Wait for Bagool to kill and eat Sam I am brother!"

Urass shook his head. "Wait. Yes. Wait" and he stood his ground, not letting them pass.

X

X

**A/N...please review... if it's not to much trouble...**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Only a few more chapters to go...**

**X**

Night had fallen as the hunters mixed, chanted and concocted the potion according to Urass' instructions, finally

adding the glittery white dust that had been around his neck. A faint glow and the smell of burning hair

permeated throughout the trailer, and Sam shone those puppy dog eyes at Bobby, his hopes and fears barely

contained in the blue green orbs.

"Don't worry too much, boy, you know your brother is strong. Little creatures aint gonna get to him easily."

Bobby poured the potion into a small container he found in one of the kitchenette cupboards, and sealed it tight.

Pete strode back into the room, carrying a small, ancient looking book. "Finally found it. Doesn't give us much,

but it's a start." He handed it to Bobby, who turned it over to the cover.

"This is a work of fiction, Pete. A story book!" He slammed it down onto the counter.

"Yah jerk. Look at the passage I highlighted" he opened the book and shoved it into Bobby's hands. "The book's

written by a hunter. He used to write children's books, and some of these horror stories, and he based them on

real creatures. This information is_ good_. He knew his stuff."

Bobby read the passage Pete had left a highlight note on, and looked up to Sam. "If this is true, we gotta get

our asses back down that cave quick smart. Bagool has you marked coz you shot him, and won't stop till Dean's

soul is his" he turned the page. "Okay, it says here that the creature is one of the most fearsome to be spewed

from purgatory, and it's the eater of souls. He called it an orc, but as far as I can see he just made that up for

the book. Yer right, though, the urchins protect the thing, and work for it. They'll tell any story or pull any trick to

get you away from Bagool, and they hold his sacrifices safe in a pile of, as he calls it, 'fetid stench'. Oh." He

fell quite, and Sam tried to grab the book from him.

"Oh? What's 'Oh' mean, Bobby?"Bobby kept the book from him, but Sam managed to snag it from him, and read the passage that had made the grizzled hunter fall silent. "We gotta leave. NOW" He slammed the book shut and grabbed the potion. Pete was pulling on a jacket, and grabbing a gun from the wall.

"I'm thinking yah can use all the help yah can get." He said. Sam gave him a grateful smile, and opened his

mouth to speak, just as they heard a loud crash, and Vadar started barking maniacally. "And I'm thinking that

help starts now".

Bobby pulled over the curtain and peered out into the half light of the trailer park, and beckoned the other

hunters to join him.

There, by the Impala, stood Bagool, the crash must've been him punching out the driver side window. Vadar

was backed up as far as he could to the opposite side of the car, barking in sheer terror, as the creature leaned

in, trying to grab him. A quick glance between Bobby and Sam and both hunters ran to the door, dagger ready,

potion in hand. Pete was right on their heels.

Bagool turned as the trailer door crashed open, the hunters stood with guns drawn and aimed at him. He

growled a strange, spine tingling noise that lifted the hairs on the hunters' arms, and made their blood turn

cold. The orc pulled his arm from the car, and turned square on to face his opponents.

He was tall, at least eight feet high, and his arms ware long, thin and wiry looking. Its eyes were large, like

bulbous pools of oil, and it seemed to have no nose, just massive nostrils cutting two gaping holes in the

misshapen, ape like face. A massive scar covered its forehead, perhaps where the hunters' bullets had ripped

into it a few hours before.

The mouth was a gash filled with what seemed to be hundreds of tiny fangs, razor sharp and glinting with

deadly intent in the half light. The torso was long, sunken chest, and bowed, shortish legs ending in two slabs

of bear like feet. All over the grey body sprouted hairy wart like protrusions, and scabby sores littered its flesh in

between.

Bobby opened the container of potion, and Sam dipped the knife into it, and in one swift movement he threw it,

aiming for the creature's chest.

He was too slow.

Bagool dodged the blade easily, and advanced on the hunters. Pete lifted his gun, and

expertly put a bullet through each of the protruding eyes. The orc dropped to all fours, its howl of anguish

almost piercing the eardrums of the hunters.

It turned, and with a lion like roar, it was gone, so quick they hardly saw it move.

Vadar jumped through the broken window of Dean's car, and ran to Sam, shoving his head between the tall

man's legs, still shaking with fear. Pete looked down at the dog. "Know how yah feel, fella"

X

X

X

X

They broke all speed limits racing to the cave, Sam in a near panic state to get to his brother. The book that

Pete had given then had only added to his anxiety, as it explained how the urchins liked to eat their victims

alive, as the pain and fear added to the taste. He could only imagine how his bother was faring, buried neck

deep in a pile of stench, creatures gnawing off his face… he pressed the gas pedal even harder, and Bobby

glared at him.

"Aint gonna do Dean any good if we die before we get there, son" he growled, but Sam didn't ease off at all. If

he could have, he would have sprouted wings and flown to his brother. What if Dean woke up and saw where

he was, where he'd been left? What would he be thinking? And what if those things had started to eat him?

What if Bagool had decided he'd waited long enough and devoured his brother's soul?

Finally! The gates to the cave site came into view, and Sam skidded the Impala to within an inch of them,

wanting to crash right through, but knowing that damaging the car would break his brother's heart.

Pete leapt out and had the lock on the gates picked within a minute, and they roared around to the service

entrance they had used earlier. Vadar was picking up on the excitement, and jumped from the car as soon as

Bobby had his door ajar enough for his sleek body to slip through. He ran around the hunters, tongue lolling,

excitement clearly showing on his goofy dog face.

"Should we tie him up?" Bobby asked, worried the dog would be a distraction. Sam shook his head.

"He could help. Diversion, or something." He rang his hands through his hair. "What if Urass was playing us,

Bobby?"

"Just grab yer stuff. Sooner we get in there, the sooner we can help Dean". Bobby grabbed the first aid kit and

extra water, shoving them in his duffle. Pete offered a sad smile, and heaved his own pack over his shoulder,

before the three hunters and dog hurried over to the service door. They hadn't bothered to lock it after they had

left earlier that afternoon, and were glad that the lights were still shining in the tunnels, making progress that

much faster.

Moving as a team, no one saying anything, they quickly came to the lake. Bobby pointed to the extra footprints

scattered all over the place, as the creature had come and gone since they had last been here. They all climbed

the fence, and without too much trouble found the chamber where Urass had last been with them. It was

empty, no urchins, no Urass, nothing. Vadar sniffed around, but even he didn't growl or give any indication that

anyone or anything else was near.

Sam turned around, scanning the chamber, trying to guess at which way to go. He met Bobby's gaze,

desperation and despair furrowing his brow and moistening his eyes.

"Wait, what's that noise?" Peter whispered, and as if on cue, Vadar started a low growl.

"I caint hear anything" Bobby whispered back. Sam cocked his head.

"No, he's right, there's something" Sam said "I just can't tell where it's coming from"

Bobby strained to hear, and touched Vadar on the head to quiet him. There, very faint, the chattering of urchins.

He couldn't tell what they were saying, he could barely hear them at all, but at least he_ could _hear them.

Sam walked to each passage leading off the chamber, and shook his head each time. He couldn't tell where they

were, the soft hint of chatter was the same in all the passages. Bobby grabbed Vadar's leash from where he'd

previously tucked it up under the studded collar, and let him to each chamber. The Doberman sniffed the first

opening, growled a little but seemed uninterested. Same with the second, but at the third, he jumped back,

whining, and ran behind Sam, shaking in fear.

"Bingo" whispered Pete, and they heaved their packs and stealthily made their way through the passage, Sam

leading, Bobby bringing up the rear. Vadar could not be coaxed to join them, he stayed in the main chamber, his

mournful whimpering drifting to the hunters.

In between their flashlights the roof glowed here and there, and spots on the walls sent an eerie glow into the

darkness.

A scruff and scuttle heralded Vadar's mad dash to join them, he must've felt safer around the men than waiting

on his own, and Bobby thumped his side to reassure the poor dog. The soft urchin chatter still seemed a long

way off, but it was hard to tell with the echoes in the cave, and even though Sam was trying to be stealthy,

he couldn't help but hurry, the thought of Dean suffering in any way making him almost throw caution to the

fates.

They travelled on for a few hundred meters, and the cavern abruptly ended. No passage, no hole, no way

though, just a dead end. Sam swore in anger, but Vadar whined, backing up from the wall. Bobby shushed the

dog, and leant against the cold damp wall, pressing his ear up close to see if there were any noises from

behind. He straightened, and looked at the other two hunters, shaking his head.

"Dammit! We came all this way and it was just wasting time" Sam yelled, both hands in his hair, frustration

radiating from him.

"Not time waste. Must go this way" a tiny voice from behind them, and all three hunters spun their torches to

find a small, cloaked figure, standing behind them.

"Urass! Thank god!" exclaimed Sam, and Vadar once again hid behind him.

"Urass?" the urchin shook his head. "Not Urass. Not friend. Not help" and he started to chuckle.

Sam just stared, gape mouthed, for a moment, then pulled his gun and in one swift move grabbed up the little

creature, and shoved the gun in its gaping little mouth.

"Okay, _not _Urass. Either help, or I blow your creepy little skull wide open."

The creature started to shake and whimper in fear. It reached up and held the muzzle of the pistol, his black

eyes pleading with Sam. He pulled the gun out, but kept it pointed at the little apple head. "Where is my

brother? And you better give me a straight answer, dickweed, and not lead us to Bagool, or they'll be wiping

your brains off these walls."

It nodded vigoursly, the hood falling off its misshapen head. Sam couldn't see any difference between this urchin

and the one that had been helping them, except that this one still had a cord around its neck that he assumed

held the same glittery powder that Urass had given them to defeat Bagool.

"Okay, what's your name?" Bobby asked it. It didn't take its eyes of Sam, and still just whimpered. Sam lowered

his gun, and only then did it turn to look at Bobby. "I asked you what your name is" Bobby repeated, his voice

pitched low and deadly.

"Amross" it squeaked. "Called Amross. Don't kill. Don't squish. Don't hurt Amross. Please" It shuddered, and Sam

drew it closer.

"Amross, are you crying?' he asked it. Amross nodded his head.

"Good. I want you to be scared. Angry Bobby and Giant Sam have brought along Killer Pete. You'd better get me

to my brother, _now,_ or killer Pete _will_ squish you!" Pete pulled out a rope from his bag, and tied it around

Amross' waist, and Sam placed the urchin on the ground.

The urchin looked at all three men, and then his gaze fell on Vadar. He looked back up to Sam. "Dog not eat

Amross?"

Sam bent down. "Amross is going to lead us to my brother. That makes Amross very important. Dog is not

allowed to eat important men." He lowered his face level with the urchin. "Is Amross an important man?"

Amross seemed to think about that, then puffed his chest out. "Important, yes! _Very_ important! Amross is a

man! _Important_ man!"

"Okay, man, lead us to Sam's brother, and Killer Pete and dog will not kill important man."

Amross turned, and led them back the way they'd come. "Important. Important man. Amross is a _man_" they

could hear him whisper, as he led them to the chamber they had started from.

X

**A/N...yeah, I got nothing...**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I hope this is not moving too slow...**

* * *

><p>Dean coughed, the effort making him dry heave, and he opened his eyes. It was still night. How long had it been night? How long had he been in this<p>

bed?

Was it night?

Was it day? Were the days and nights all running together? Where was he?

He tried to move, and he felt something shift, but he was pinned. His legs had pins and needles, but he couldn't move them. His arms, also, would not

move.

"Sam?" he croaked, but Sam didn't answer. Sam hadn't answered for a long time.

"Bobby?" Nothing.

"Cas?" Surely the angel would come…come and save him from this…..

Where was this?

What was this?

He was dying. He knew it without a doubt.

His breath was laboured, his skin dry, his throat cracked and burning.

He could feel his very life essence slipping away, his thoughts incoherent, his eyes unfocused.

He was dying, alone, in this stinking room.

At least there was not much pain. Only his throat hurt, the rest of him sort of throbbed in a broken rhythm, in time with his misbeating heart.

He could feel his heart beat.

That was odd, wasn't it? That you could feel your heart?

Was it his heart?

Was it drums?

And what was that other noise?

Voices? Kid voices?

Drums, again?

Something was beating, not quite in time.

"Sammy…" he cried, but no one came.

He was going to die alone.

Alone in this long day's night.

He was going to die _alone_, stinking, covered in…whatever this was.

He cried, then. He cried for Sammy, for this father. For his lost mother, and robbed childhood.

He cried for his broken heart, for his time in hell, for his brother's sacrifice.

He cried till he knew no more….

X

X

X

X

The hunters were once again in the chamber, all passages leading off, and Amross stood triumphant, as if he had completed the most arduous journey.

"Where's my brother, Amross?" Sam asked him. The urchin looked up at him, and seemed confused.

"Amross helping" he replied. "Get Angry Bobby, Giant Sam and Killer Pete away from dying. Giant Sam does not want dying?"

"No, Giant Sam does not want dying" Sam looked to Bobby for help, who squatted in front of the tiny creature.

"Amross, who is dying?" he asked it. Amross pointed his clawed finger at Sam, then Bobby, then Pete.

"All die. Bagool take all."

Pete squatted beside Bobby, making the urchin hiss in fear.

"Okay, little ….thing. Killer Pete will only kill yah if yah stop being a man. Yah aint gonna stop being a man, are yah?"

Amross nodded his head, then shook it. "Man. Amross a man. Amross _helps_"

"Yes, little man, Amross helps. Who was gonna make us do the dying?" Pete quizzed.

"Bagool. If trapped, Bagool can kill. Bagool kill, Bagool eat. Urchins take rest to food pile."

"And Bagool won't find us here?"

"Bagool has gone to steal more souls" Amross nodded hard. "Yes. Gone. Follow, scare, and steal."

"Well, I'm thinking that leaves us clear to get Dean out of here" Bobby announced, standing up. Sam drew a sharp breath.

"Amross, can you take us to my brother, now? Please?"

The urchin looked to him, and this time nodded once.

"Amross is _important man_. Amross take Giant Sam to brother. Must hurry. Urchins ready to eat Giant Sam Brother."

Sam gathered up the rope, gripping it tightly. "Okay, Amross, please hurry!"

X

X

X

X

Amross led the hunters through a long, dank tunnel, the chattering of urchins finally becoming louder. The glow was bright enough that they could turn

off their torches, and the cavern high enough that they could all walk straight. Vadar stuck close to Sam, his hair on end, short tail tucked as low as he

could get it.

Finally, after what seemed to Sam an age, the passage widened a little, and they stopped at a crowd of urchins, all chattering and milling about.

They fell silent as the hunters approached, and all turned to stare. Vadar growled low and dangerous, Sam tapped him to quiet him. Vadar sat beside

Sam, as if on command.

"_Giant Sam_" one of the urchins chirruped.

"_Giant Sam I am_" another echoed.

"_Angry Man_"

"_Sam I am and angry man_"

"Angry Bobby! Sam I am" a familiar voice called, and Sam strode forward and grabbed Urass up from the entrance to another chamber. The stench filled

his nostrils, and it was all he could do to hold back his gag reflex. Either Bobby or Pete were not so lucky, Sam heard one of them throw up, but he was

too focused on the room in front of him to turn around, or even particularly care.

"Urass save Sam brother?" he asked the little creature quietly.

"_Save the Sam brother_"

"_Save Giant Sam brother_"

"_Bagool eat the Sam brother_" the urchins all chattered.

_"Save the Sam brother for Bagool."_

_Urass nodded at Sam, trying to convey something, and turned to his fellow urchins. "Giant Sam will squash and kill if brother hurt!" he yelled at them. Their _

_chattering fell quiet._

_"Urass is doing right thing! Urass help Giant Sam and angry Bobby get Sam I am brother. Urchins help Urass! Urchins all help save Sam brother!"_

_Amross strode forward, the rope around him now loose, and he slipped out of it. "Amross is important. Amross help Urass. Amross help Sam I am." He looked _

_around at his little brothers. "Sam and Bobby and Killer Pete say please. Please help. Ask urchins for help. Ask like….like urchins important!"_

_The little hoard stayed quiet for a moment._

_"Ask for help"_

_"Ask urchins for help"_

_"Say please"_

_"Say please to urchins"_

_"Treat urchins like important"_

_"Not yell. Not order. Ask"_

_"What're they doing, Urass?" Sam asked the urchin in his arms. _

_Urass nodded again, this time his meaning was easier to fathom. "Urchins work for Bagool. Bagool cruel. Never ask. Never please. Never kind." He swept his little _

_arm to take in the dozens of little creature surrounding them. "Urchins happy. Feel important. Feel like helping. __Will__ help"._

_"Oh, thank God" Sam breathed, and put Urass down. "Let's get my brother. NOW"_

_X_

X

X

X

X

She sat on the hard bench at the bus stop, annoyed and feeling more than a little sad. How dare he! How dare he let her get out of the car! Oh, sure,

she'd demanded he stop the car and let her out, but couldn't he see it was just a ploy to get him to stand up an be a man, refuse to let her out on a

quiet road, at night, when all these murders were taking place?

The worst part was, she knew it was all her fault. All of it. He hadn't really flirted with the waitress, he was just being nice. That was it, she knew, he was

just being nice. He was nice. Probably too nice for her, and she knew it. That's one of the reasons she'd start these stupid fights, to get him upset, and

angry, coz that was about the only time he seemed to act like a man around her, not a nice guy, Nice guys are okay, but they were not exciting.

And that's what she really wanted. Excitement. Fun. A little danger, maybe.

She'd told everyone that she just wanted a nice guy, for a change, no more of those bad boy types she was so attracted to, but treated her like shit. A

nice guy. Yeah, right.

Turns out she really liked the bad boys, and probably always would.

He pulled out her phone to check the time. Damn bus was late. Bugger it. She was going to have to call him and say sorry.

I'm so sorry, come and get me.

Hell, she'd wait till morning to catch the stupid bus, if she had to.

Maybe this was him being a man? Maybe him pulling over and letting her out was exactly what she'd asked for.

She wanted a bad boy. This was certainly bad boy behavior. She smiled to herself. Turns out he can be a man, after all.

A soft breeze rustled her hair, and swirled the growing mist around her ankles. She pulled her light jacket a bit tighter. God, it had gotten cold.

The breeze stirred again, this time sounding for all the world like a sigh. Bit creepy, she thought.

"I am here for you"

This time she heard something. Some fucking creep was perving off to her. Great.

"I have waited for you"

She pulled out her phone, creeped out enough to call her boyfriend to come and pick her up.

"I am here for you" the breeze called to her.

"Yeah, well, I'll have the cops here for you in just a minute" she yelled back, more bravely than she felt.

X

x

He hadn't gone far. He wasn't going to leave her alone at night, in the cold, on a quiet road, especially since there had been all those murders. Oh, he

knew why she yelled at him, knew she wanted him to be more like the harsh fools she'd dated before him. Truth was, sometime he wished he could be

like that, too.

So when she demanded he pull the car over, he thought that was his chance. Too nice? Yeah, nice guys won't put you out in the cold on a dangerous

night, would they?

He hoped it was enough for her. That she'd get cold, and frightened, and call him back to come and 'rescue' her.

Right on cue, his cell phone rang. He flipped it open, and felt a warm smile spilt hi face. It worked! He wiped his face, and made sure his voice was steady.

He wanted to sound angry, or uncaring, not relieved. He snapped the phone pen and grunted.

"Yeah, what is it?"

Nothing.

Then he heard it…a quick breath, taken in what sounded a lot like fear.

"Toby? Toby?" he heard her whisper. "Oh god, oh my god….nooooo…." she screamed, and he heard the phone fall to the ground.

It didn't cut out, though, and he heard her screams continue, in pain, and fear, and absolute horror. Then, a sound that would haunt him till the end of his

days.

"I am here for you…."

**A/N Hopefully next chapter will not be too long away, got a busy week coming up, though. Please review, you can do this anonymously, if you like!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Mor****e angst, a little nudity, but in a hurt Dean way, and mild lanuage warning...**

* * *

><p>Sam could feel he was in a state of near panic. It'd been too long since that creature had taken Dean, and he knew he had to keep it together, or he'd be<p>

no hope to anybody if he lost it. But for fuck's sake, why were these little turds of creatures taking so long to get to Dean? And could they be trusted?

"I don't trust them" whispered Pete in his ear as if he'd been reading Sam's mind.

"I know, but dude, what choice do we have?" Sam gripped the dagger tighter. "Just be ready for anything. We gotta get my brother, and we gotta get

him soon, I don't think he can last much longer…"

They had passed a massive pile of stench, Urass leading them around and through another tunnel. Finally they came to another opening, this one

accessed over a wide stream of rushing water, a small bridge that would only accommodate the urchins built over it. Sam's long legs allowed him to step

over, and the other two hunters jumped it easily.

The rushing water came from a hole near the top of the chamber, and in the phosphorescent roof showed the odd plastic bottle, rubbish that had

washed down though the cave, as they bobbed and clattered on the other side where the water disappeared, making a soft, irregular drumming sound.

Urass pulled Sam's pant leg to get his attention, and pointed ahead. "There" he simply offered, and Sam looked up to see a smaller pile of stench, barely

illuminated in the back of the chamber.

It was darker there, and at first he couldn't quite make out anything other than a pile.

"There?" he breathed back to Urass, looking down at him. The urchin nodded, and Sam tucked the dagger into his pants as he ran over to the stinking

heap of putrescence.

He couldn't at first see anything, then he realized that there, a tuft of hair, a curve of chin, a sweated brow…"Oh, God, Dean" he gasped, and started

digging his brother out, pulling globs of stink and bone and entrails away from the unconscious hunter.

The urchins joined him, climbing up the pile and quickly moving to free the comatose man, Bobby and Pete joining them, pulling the rotting mess away

from Dean.

It seemed to take forever to free the trapped hunter, but finally Sam was able to grab his brother's shoulders and pull him free, the stench pile making a

sucking sound as it released it's captive.

Dean was naked, his body covered in rot and blood and things that Sam didn't want to recognize, and he was out cold. Sam couldn't see any open

wounds, and he looked up at Bobby, his eyes filled with tears.

"Bring him over to the water. We gotta get some of that crap off him" Bobby instructed

"That water will be freezing" Sam near sobbed.

"Feel his head, boy" Bobby replied "He's burning up. It'll be good for him, getting this stuff of him, and maybe we can get his fever down a bit."

"Whatever your doing, I'd hurry. We don't know how long this Bagool is gonna be" Pete reminded them, and Sam and Bobby carried Dean, Sam lifting his

arms, Bobby at his feet, and they lowered him into the shallow stream.

The cold shocked Dean awake, his eyes springing open, his breath sharply drawn.

"Hey, hey" soothed Sam. "It's ok. I'm here, I got you" he could feel his tears start to roll down his cheeks, but didn't care. "I got you Dean, it's okay."

Dean's gaze was wild, and he feebly struggled to get out of the frigid water. Sam held him down, one hand on his chest all that he needed, Dean to

weak and disoriented to do anything about it.

Bobby started to rub the mess off the injured hunter, rubbing his naked fevered body with no shame or self consciousness, only concern written over his

features, his brow drawn tight with worry.

"Hey, Dean, hey" Sam continued to soothe, and Dean seemed to hear him, his head turning to take in his brother's face.

"Sammy?" he croaked, and reached up, trying to touch his brother, but too weak to make the contact. "I called for you, but you didn't come…"

Sam shook his head, the despair in Deans words tearing his heart in two. "I'm here now, Dean. I came. I came to save you"

Dean looked him in the eye, this time his hand made it all the way to Sam's face. "You came. You came for me…" and his head fell back, his fight to stay

conscious lost.

"Allright, let's get him outta the water" Bobby instructed, and he and Sam heaved the heavy body up.

Urass tapped Bobby's leg, and pointed to Dean's clothes, neatly folded in the corner of the cave.

"I dunno how successful we're gonna be in getting him dressed, just let's see how much we can get on him" Bobby told Sam, and Pete retrieved the

items.

They got his boxers on, and Sam was trying to get Sean's arms into a shirt when the urchins started to squeak and squeal in alarm. Vadar ran over to

Sam, nearly toppling him from his kneeled position and started barking wildly.

"I'd say our time's just run out" Pete said, and cocked his shotgun.

X

X

X

X

Bagool carried his latest victim's entails high on his shoulders. He liked the way they slapped against his back as walked. Well, more like loped.

He reached the sinkwell he used to access his cave home, and slithered through the brambles that hid the opening. Pulling the viscera along behind him,

he made his way down into the bowls of the earth, the cool and damp surrounds pleasing him. While he enjoyed being allowed up to the surface after so

long, there was nothing like coming home.

No lights, bar the soft glowing in the caves, no noise, no sweet and sharp smells of civilization.

He found his entrance to the lake chamber, and dropped from his tunnel to the floor, and loped three legged to the railing surrounding the water. His

other appendage still clutched the entrails of the hapless woman he'd found earlier, a gift for his faithful little excrement he called his followers. Dirty little

creatures, but they served a purpose.

He stopped, and sniffed the air, the gaping holes he used for nostrils quivering. Man smell. The one he'd pushed aside before, and new man smells.

They were surrounded by the scent of urchins, so Bagool knew he's have at least one, perhaps two more souls to eat tonight. This was a good night.

Tonight he was also going to shred that soul of the hunter he'd caught.

Big soul. Tasty. Mother would be pleased

He dragged the remains of his latest victim to the first stench pile, and threw them on the top. He was concerned that there were no urchins there to

greet him, but figured they were busy distracting the men, keeping them from the hunter, and leading them around to a blind tunnel, where he could trap

and kill them.

Yes, a good night.

He made his way to the large cavern, following the men's scent, and then sniffed their trail to the tunnel he had hoped they'd be. It was narrow, a dead

end, no hope of escape for the men, and a delicious anticipation of the carnage ahead for Bagool. He loped off, at times traversing the roof, or the walls

of the tunnel.

He came to the end, and grunted in confusion. Maybe the men had figured it out. There was no one here, and he could clearly smell urchin.

He made his way back to the large room, and this time sniffed out the men's scent leading down another passage. The smell of urchins was strong, here,

and he marveled at his little servants hunting down the men to contain them for him. He would let them have all of the men's carcasses for their pile as

a reward, and let them play with the broken soul of the tall man. Maybe let them eat him alive. That would make them very happy.

He drew closer, and slowed, listening. He wanted to know the full situation before he barreled in, though he knew they couldn't kill him, those bullets

through his eyes had hurt. He didn't want them trying anything like that again.

He heard the men, talking, desperate….what was he hearing?

They had found the hunter, and were going to take him out of the caves. His urchins didn't seem to be doing anything about it. Strange, but as he didn't

quite know what had transpired, he was going to give them the benefit of the doubt. If they had been remiss in their duties, well, he might just squash a

few little gnarled heads. Just for fun.

He climbed to the ceiling, slowly, so he could peer into the chamber without anyone knowing he was there.

He listened, and did not like what he was hearing. The urchins were doing nothing to control the situation, and as he peered closer, he could see them all

standing around, watching what the men were doing.

A low growl involuntarily escaped him, signaling the urchins, and the man-pet they had with them of his presence.

He let his growl grow in intensity, knowing it would place fear in the hearts of the men. He heard his urchins squeal, and the man pet barked. Good. They

were frightened.

He dropped into the cavern, expecting to see the men cowering, terrified of his visage, quaking at the very sight of him. It's how it's always been, since

the start of time. He was fearsome. Men feared him.

He roared, and then stopped, quirking his head to one side. These men were ready for him!

A blast of shotgun hit him square in the face, knocking him back a little.

He roared again, in pain and anger, and felt more bullets rip through his lean body. Annoying yes, and painful, but they could not kill him.

He let his gash of a mouth form into a hideous smile. "I am here for you" he breathed, all he malice he could gather wreathed into his voice.

"Well, douche bag, turns out we're here for you" Sam snarked, at threw the dagger, freshly coated in urchin potion, straight into the orc's chest.

Bagool stopped.

He felt strange.

There was pain, sharp, cutting, as usual when a knife cleaved your body.

But something….something else….

A burning, static-like feeling started to spread from his chest where the knife protruded, and reached up through his neck, down through his belly and

loins, his skin starting to sizzle and crackle with the spread of this strange sensation.

He drew a breath, and looked down at his urchins.

They cowered back from him, faces twisted in fear and terror.

Two urchins stood at the front, also looking frightened, but triumph seemed to be there as well.

He held out his hand, palm up, long, gnarled fingers spread, as if begging for help, or approval.

He fell forward, all eight feet of him, crashing to the ground in a whump of dust.

He groaned, a long breath escaping him, and the fearsome Bagool knew no more.

X

X

X

X

Dean opened his eyes, and was glad, this time, that there was no stink. His throat still hurt, and he felt way too hot. The sheets were uncomfortable

against his skin, like sandpaper. He coughed weakly, and he felt his stomach heave.

Suddenly strong hands lifted him, and turned his head so he could throw up into a bowl, then gently wiped is face with a cool soft, damp cloth.

He felt hot tears well in his eyes, and his chest hitched, a little.

"Sammy?" he croaked.

"Yes Dean. I got you" his brother's soothing reply gently calmed him."I got you, big brother. You're safe now. I got you"

Dean let a low moan, but it was more relief than pain, and tried to pull himself up so he could see his baby brother.

He felt the strong, large arms lift his shoulders, then encircle his chest, holding him tight, reassuring, with such love and comfort that he had not felt since

he was a tiny child, with a mother's grasp to soothe and protect him.

He looked up, trying to meet the eyes of his beloved sibling, but he couldn't focus, there was just a large shape.

The shape leaned in, and kissed him on the forehead, softly, but with so much love and tenderness that Dean felt himself once again reduce to sobbing

like a baby.

His brother held him, held him tight, until he softly cried himself to sleep.

x

x

**A/N Only one more chapter to go...then I'm back to Angie, for those that have requested her return. Please,_ (I beg you)_ please review...**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N So, we come to the end...I hope it meets your approval. **

* * *

><p>Bobby poured Pete a large whiskey, and lifted his own glass in a salute.<p>

"Don't think we coulda done this without you" he said.

"Of course yah couldn't!" Pete laughed, and drained his glass. "More than happy to help, and get rid of at least

one maggot from this war" he held his glass for Bobby to top up. "We are at war, aren't we?"

Bobby skulled his whiskey and refilled both their glasses. "That, I believe, is an understatement. We got so much

goin' on here I don't know where to start. But you probably know most of it."

Pete drained his second shot, and nodded. "Yah know, dontcha, that those boys are heroes. Aint none like 'em,

among any hunters I ever met." He stood, and streched . "I'm just glad to get them back into the battle. Yah

think Dean'll be ok?"

Bobby looked downcast. "He's torn up inside pretty bad, and he was in that pile of disgusting for way too long.

He's strong, though, I've seen him pull through shit worse than this. Well, maybe as bad."

Pete shook his hand, and took his leave. Bobby watched him drive out, grateful for the man's help, and grateful that he still had friends he could call

for just that.

With a soul deep sigh, he went back inside, and took the whiskey bottle and two glasses with him to the study,

were Sam had made up a cot for his brother. Bobby stopped at the entrance, his heart breaking at this sight of

Sam holding his brother in almost a lover's embrace, his face wet with tears, his brother asleep and curled into

his sibling's embrace.

Bobby cleared his throat, and Sam looked up to watch him enter, his pain and angst clear on his clear features.

"He's really sick, Bobby. I don't know how bad he's hurt, but he's still running a fever, and he keeps throwing up"

Bobby walked over to them, and felt Dean's forehead. It was hot, but he thought maybe not as bad as before,

and told Sam as much.

"Best you let him rest. And you need a rest, too. I'll watch him for a little"

"What if he wakes up and can't find me?"

"I can find you. I'll call you as soon as there's any change. Grab a blanket and have a nap on the sofa." He

handed Sam a whiskey glass, half full.

"We'll try Cas again. He can clear this up in a touch. He won't let Dean suffer, you know that. And he won't lose

Dean. _We_ won't lose Dean. I promise you, Sam, he'll be ok"

Sam wiped an errant tear tracing a path along his cheek, and nodded. "He's been through so much. I don't get

why he has to suffer like this. Why it can't ever be easy for him?"

Bobby laid a comforting hand on Sam's shoulder. "He's not the only Winchester to suffer, Sam. You take your fair

share of knocks, and you both keep coming back, never stay down for the full count. You know he'd do it all day,

every day, just to make the world safe. You _know_ that. You heard the urchins" he drained his glass "Dean has a

massive soul"

Sam nodded his head, once again wiping his eyes. "Biggest damn soul to walk the face of this Earth." He smiled,

sad but a little more relieved, and Bobby slapped his back.

X

X

X

X

Urass looked at is fellow urchins, from the top of the large rock he had chosen. He couldn't believe it when Sam

told him he was in charge now, and that it was his job to teach the other urchins to be men. Amross stood on

the large rock with him, just back a little, his 'first lieutenant', promoted to that position by Angry Bobby.

He raised his arms, and threw his hood back.

"Urchins important! Urchins is men!" he proclaimed.

_"Urchins important"_

_"Important!"_

_Urchins important men!"_

_"Men"_

_"Urchins is men!"_

"Urchins can go home. Back to low caves. Urchins no _never_ have to come to upside again!"

_"No upside!"_

__"Urchins go home"__

_"Home"_

_"Never come upside"_

_"No never come back"_

_"Urchins never come back again"_

X

X

X

X

Dean was awake. He didn't know when he'd woken up, just that he wasn't in pain, now he was. The sheets felt

like they were grating his skin, and he was hot. Too hot.

His throat was burning, and his stomach was doing slow, nauseous rolls that made him want to heave all over

himself.

His tongue felt too big, and he was thirsty. Really, really thirsty.

He tried to turn over, and that made his stomach give up its fight to hold its contents down, and he felt his body

buck, ready to expel whatever was left inside of him.

Once again, strong hands grabbed him, and gently supported him while he vomited in shaking, frail spasms, a

bucket held firmly at his chin.

After what seemed like hours, his stomach went back to its queasy rolling and he let his head flop back in to the

firm grip supporting him.

"Sammy?" he whispered.

"No, son, it's Bobby." The strong hands wiped his mouth, his burning forehead, a cool moist cloth seemingly the

most wonderful sensation right now.

"Sam's having a nap. Are you thirsty?"

Dean cracked his swollen eyes a little, and made out the hunched shouldered trucker cap of his pseudo father

figure.

"Bobby?"

"Yes son, I'm here"

Dean raised his arm, trembling with the strain, and touched Bobby's chest. "I called you. You didn't come"

Bobby felt his heart cry out with the pain of the revelation. "I'm here now, boy. I'm here"

Dean sighed. "You're really here? Really?"

Bobby felt a tear drop from his eye, and he swiped it away angrily. "Yes, boy, I'm here. Sam is here. Are you

thirsty? Would you like a drink?"

Dean started to cry, he couldn't help himself. He as so weak, so hot, so tired, he couldn't control his emotions. He

managed a small nod, and when Bobby turned to grab the water he found Sam standing there, ice cold glass in

his hand. Without a word he slipped in to support his brother, who greedily drank from the glass. Sam allowed

him only a few sips, and took it away, which elicited a cry from his suffering brother.

"Give it a minute, Dean" he quietly soothed "Let's see if you can hold this down first"

Dean looked up, seeing his brother, and slowly wrapped an arm around Sam's waist, pulling him weakly as close

as he could. Sam looked over at Bobby; they both knew that Dean would never allow this type of contact if he

had half measure of reality right now.

Dean held the water down, and after a few minutes he lifted his face again, looking at his brother as if he

thought he's never see him again.

"You want some more water, Dean?"

Dean nodded, trying to reach for the glass, but then he stopped, and alarmed expression on his pale face. Sam

lifted his chin. "Are you allright?"

Dean threw up all over both of them, and then started to cry again, his desperate sobs making the whole thing

that much worse.

After Sam had them both cleaned and the cot sheets changed, refusing any help from Bobby, he nursed his

brother until he fell into a fitful sleep.

Standing up, he gave Bobby the most pitiful look, and Bobby had to turn away to hide his own pain.

"He can't last much longer like this, Bobby. We aughta get him to a hospital"

"I don't think they can help him" Bobby hoarsely replied.

"Dammnit, Cas, where are you?" Sammy cried out. "Dean needs you, _really _needs you, surely you can leave your

war for _one fucking minute_ and help him?"

A flutter of wings, a soft shift in the air, and Cas stood in front of him. "What is wrong with Dean?" he growled.

"Oh, thank god, Cas, I thought you'd never come" gushed Sam, and Bobby pointed behind the angel, at the

hunter slowly dying on a day cot in Bobby's library. Cas looked at Dean, then back at Bobby and Sam.

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" he demanded.

Bobby grabbed Sam's arm, and gave him a 'calm down' look.

"We called, Cas. We called" Bobby told him.

The angel just frowned at them, and turned to his prone friend. "He is dying"

"Thank you, captain obvious. Can you fix him?" Bobby gruffed.

"Of course" Cas laid his hand on Dean, then stood straight. All three watched Dean, anticipation heavy in the

atmosphere.

Dean groaned, and stretched, his arms raising, his eyes screwed tight, and he blinked them open, sighting three

men staring at him, his brother with tear filled eyes.

"What the fuck? What's going on?" he sat up, alarmed, confused, and wide awake.

Sam fell onto the bed, grabbing him up in a breath stopping bear hug that had Dean confused. "Dude, personal

space. And..can't breathe" he pushed Sam back, and looked hard at him. "What happened? What's going on?"

he pulled the sheet back, revealing only boxers. "Did I throw up on myself? I think I peed the bed….someone tell

me what happened before I have to beat it outta you."

Sam and bobby gave a very relieved laugh, while Cas frowned his darkest angel scowl.

X

X

X

Dean sipped his coffee, and shook his head. "I dunno, man, that's the way you tell it, but…" he frowned

"Urchins? Really? Named Yer Ass?"

Bobby laughed, and Sam smiled brightly, happy that his brother was up, healthy, and had eaten enough to keep

a small African village for a month. Cas had left soon after healing Dean, the war in heaven needing his

attention.

"Urass. And if it weren't for him, I don't think we coulda got you out in one piece" Sam replied. Dean raised his

cup. "To your Ass. May your Ass live a long and healthy life."

Sam and Bobby joined his laughter, all tension, for the moment, leaving the three hunters.

"What happened to the dog?" Dean asked.

"Pete took him back to animal control. The family of his owner wanted him. Better that way. He was a big

coward" Bobby explained.

"Well, I guess that's for the best. " Dean put his coffee cup down. "What now? Mother has to be pissed you guys

took out her monster. Is she gunna come gunning for us now?"

Bobby shook his head. "Who knows, boy. I just think the big picture got a whole lot bigger. If you're up to it, we

need to get back to serious research mode. Pete left us some info, and a few contacts on different things that've

been going down. Time we took a look at it"

"Sounds like a plan." Sam looked at his brother, an knew his eyes were once again betraying him with their

unreleased tears. Dean frowned at him.

"Dude, we are not gonna have any kind of a chic flic moment, are we?"

Sam smiled at him, and an errant tear traced his nose, before he swiped it away. "No. No chic flick moments. I'm

just glad you're ok"

X

* * *

><p><strong>AN...please feel free to review... and have a look at my next story...Harvester of Sorrow...**


	13. Chapter 13

Arrrgghhh I've been hacked! Chapter one is missing. If anyone has downloaded a copy I would be ever so grateful if you could send it to me? you can email me at ucat42


End file.
